Evolution
by bitchinblackframedglasses
Summary: Kelsey is a loner. She thinks she is fat, ugly, and alone. One day, she gets a sore throat, and her life is turned upside down. She begins to notice some changes as she evolves into something...something non-human.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I woke up slowly. I'm surprised I woke up at all. I've become something of a insomniac lately. Sleep was a tiny miracle for me. It was still dark outside, but I wasn't about to go back to sleep. With a groan, I rolled out of bed, and felt my way to the bathroom, and started the shower.

I hate my body. I really do. With thighs the size of Texas, and flabby arms, I am what you would call a 'big girl.'

I'm not that kind of fat, like the scary obese people you may see. I'm just big, with a tiny waist, right under monster boobs I got from my mom. Genes suck some times. And I've done everything healthy to try to lose weight. One week, all I ate was apples. They didn't give me the hourglass figure I was looking for.

But in the shower, all I can do is relax, and I don't think about anything like that. Until I remembered that it was a Monday, days I hate the most. Because that's when I have gym.

I got out and attacked my shoulder length black curly hair with a brush, and managed to actually do something with it. A messy bun would have to do. My throat hurt a little as I walked back to my room.

I prayed that I wasn't getting sick. That's the last thing I needed. I got dressed in jeans and a deep purple empire waist blouse. It's the only thing I look good in, empire waisted shirts. Then, I grabbed my high top Chucks, and my backpack, and headed downstairs quietly.

The clock in the kitchen said 6 am. My parents would be up in 10 minutes. I could hear their alarm clock every morning sitting on the couch.

The one thing I like about me is my feet. They were small, only a size 6 in women's shoes. I slid my chucks on, and grabbed some breakfast. Then, I passed my sleepy father in the bathroom brushing his teeth, and headed to mine, to get rid of all traces of Pop-tart.

"Kelsey, are you up already?" My dad mumbled on my way past the bathroom again, now minty fresh.

"Yep." I said, and walked downstairs. Being a single-child made things a little difficult, as far as control and your parents involvement is concerned. Luckily, my parents were addicted to their work, so I only had that problem in the mornings.

My throat felt dry and scratchy as I left the house. I must have drunk a gallon of water before leaving, but my throat was still dry and thirsty. I got into my old Honda Accord and slammed the door. I had to do that or it would open while driving.

I loved where we lived, Gresham, a small suburb off of Portland. As I drove, I got this strange feeling, like I wasn't going fast enough. At one point, I had to take my foot off the gas to avoid going over the speed limit. Wondering what the hell was wrong with me, I pulled into the school parking lot.

I hated the people who lived here. As I stepped out of my car, a pack of bitch girls (so I liked to call them) smirked at me. Rolling my eyes, I began another day in hell.

As I sat in math, I swallowed. My throat hurt like a son of a batch of cookies. The sun was managing to make a appearance today, and I felt I was baking in a oven.

I almost ran to the cafeteria at lunch time. I bought a bottle of water and a salad, and went to sit down with my friends. Actually, I would call my table the slut free zone. We were a collection of nobody's, band freaks, and nerds.

I took off the cap and chugged. My throat soothed. After a minute, it came back. Irritated, I took a bite of salad.

And almost threw up. It was tasteless, and slimy. Ignoring the weird looks I was getting, I dumped my tray of uneaten food, and started to walk back to my seat.

I almost made it.

"Trying to lose weight? Honey, not eating isn't going to help." A slut said like the bitch she was. Her friends started laughing.

"At least I don't puke up everything I eat." I shot back, feeling unnaturally cranky, and walked around her and sat down.

I heard her gasp, and the tittering her friends made. For the rest of the hour, I sat with my head in my arms, trying to ignore the fire in my throat. I tried a cough drop, but that was worse than the salad.

At the end of the day, I just sat in my car, miserable. After awhile, I made it home, dreading all the homework I had to do. My damn throat had drawn my attention away, and I had no idea how to do it.

But to my surprise, my homework was easy, almost boring. It took me 5 minutes. Since my parents wouldn't be home until 10, I decided to Google sore throat, and see what the hell I should do. In the end, I swallowed 2 Tylenol and collapsed on my bed.

I stayed there all night long. I didn't sleep for one second. The fire in my throat didn't lessen.

And I wasn't tired at all the next morning. Just irritable. My mom actually let me stay home from school, after feeling my forehead and finding it ice cold.

And everything went down hill from there.

**Hey hey! Yes, I ambitious, yet another story for me! Anyhow, don't expect much, this is cramming for finals week, plus, I get braces the 15****th****! So chapters might not come on for a while…but here is a taste!**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Even with my eyes closed, I could still tell where everything was in the house. And it was scaring me. I could hear everything in the house, if it was moving or not. Everything made a small noise; I could swear that I could hear dust hitting the ground.

That was not normal. That was freakish.

I hadn't eaten anything since Sunday night. My throat burned constantly. Water didn't even help anymore. It felt like a flamethrower in my throat, so I made my mom call me into school. She prattled over me, then she went back to her _real_ family. Her job. I stayed in bed for an hour after she left. When she had been gone almost an hour and a half, I got out of bed. The need for food made my knees weak and dark spots to come over my eyes.

The hunger hit me like a tidal wave. I made my way downstairs as fast as I could, and opened the fridge. I grabbed the jelly, and jammed toast in the toaster.

When it popped, the smell made me sick. I ran to the bathroom and puked up anything else that was left in my stomach. I forced some crackers down my throat, just to keep my stomach from rolling. My hands were so cold; the crackers were cool going down my throat. Unfortunately, that didn't help the burning.

After a while, I went upstairs to take a shower. Trying to get warm, I turned up the shower with no cold water at all. I was bored, so I turned on the radio before getting in; I needed a distraction from the constant burning that was driving me crazy. Without thinking, I started to sing along, and scared myself; I clamped a hand over my mouth in shock.

One, my throat didn't hurt while I sang. And two, my voice was beautiful.

And I've never been able to sing in my life. Me trying to sing sounds like strangling a cat. Usually. Not a single note that has come out of my mouth has ever been beautiful until now.

I hesitantly started to sing again. I sounded like a world renowned opera singer. But better. I sounded better than the Police, who where on the radio.

**(Ok, so I listen to old music.)**

What the hell was with me? Something is happening to me, without my permission, and is changing my body.

Confused and a little frightened, I stepped out of the shower and walked back to my room. I freaked out even more when I realized that it was 40 degrees outside, and 50 in my house, and I was naked.

And I wasn't cold. I could still be in the shower, I was so warm. But my skin was ice cold, like a freezer, and my throat still burned. I ran and turned up the thermostat, and then sprinted back to my room.

And I was there in less than a second.

Gasping, I flopped on my bed. I was really scared now. I was moving faster than humanly possible too? What next? Lifting Buicks?

"Kelsey, it's ok. It's ok…" I tried to reassure myself out loud. I tried it out a couple more times, zipping around the house. I didn't even fall and break anything.

I thought I was hallucinating, so I zipped back to my room. When my parents come home to find their psycho daughter, a.k.a. me, it would be nice if I wasn't naked.

I got dressed in sweats, and went to sit on the couch. I stared at the wall, trying to think. But I was hungry. Too bad all the food in the house makes me want to puke.

During the rest of the day, I learned that I could juggle and play hacky sack as well as a pro. And it was my first time trying it!

NO WAY! Learning that I could do things amazingly well was getting boring. Plus, they only freaked me out. 'Unhealthy' my father would call it.

My parents came home to a glum me not really watching the TV.

"Honey, are you feeling better?" My mom asked out of spite, rummaging through her purse.

"Just dandy." I said. My parents turned to stare at me.

"What happened to your voice pumpkin?" My dad asked.

"What do you mean? My voice is normal. Right?" I said, hysteria creeping up on me.

"Honey, its absolutely gorgeous! You've grown so much, and it suits you."

I almost laughed. My mom thought it was puberty. I answered their questions with false answers, and then even I noticed the difference. It was smooth, like silk, but as light as wind chimes.

To celebrate my 'success', the decided to take me out to dinner.

I resisted the urge to smack my forehead.

I went anyway. It had started raining a couple hours ago, and when I walked outside, it was like I had whole new eyes. New colors stood out to me, ones I had never seen.

Then my mom stepped out after me, and a cool breeze made her hair whip around. And she smelt delicious. Absolutely scrumptious. I could hear her heart beating, my dads too.

And I wanted to eat them.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I froze, and my parents didn't even notice, they walked around me, and to the car. Only when they were in, did they notice me.

"Come on Kelsey!" My mom called, then continued prattling on to my dad about a new client.

Should I go in there? If I go in the car, I would surely eat them. Hysteria almost made me laugh.

I was afraid of eating my parents!

In the end, I held my breath, and got in the back seat. The confined space of the car did not help my 'no eating my parents' strategy.

My mom turned on the heat, and I clenched my hands into fists, and leaned my head back against the seat.

It took my parents 10 minutes to notice. And they didn't really 'notice.'

"Kelsey, are you ok with Mexican Food? Kelsey?" My mom looked in the rearview mirror.

"Sounds great." I said through clenched teeth. I breathed in, and I had to dig my hands into the seat to stop from springing up.

I don't know what scared me more, the fact I had been holding my breath for ten minutes, or me wanting to kill my parents cause they smelt good.

_You are not a cannibal. You are not a cannibal._ I chanted in my head.

"Kelsey, are you ok? You look like you're in pain." My dad said, checking his cell at the same time.

"I'm ok." I said, and rolled down my window a little bit, and breathed in the fresh air.

They talked the rest of the way there.

I got out smoothly from the car, and almost ran to the door of the restaurant.

I stepped in, and gasped, then held my breath again.

Everyone in the place smelled as good as freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

Veins seemed as clear as day to me against their necks. My stomach heaved at the thought.

_YOU ARE NOT A CANNIBAL!_ I screamed over and over in my head.

I meekly followed my parents to our table, and ordered water, and the smallest thing on the kids menu.

My parents were ignorant to all of this. I sipped water occasionally, and ignored the food. I didn't breathe. After awhile, it was a relief, I couldn't smell all the 'yummy' humans around me, nor the food under my nose.

"Kelsey, aren't you going to finish your food?" My mom said a half an hour later.

"I'm not hungry." I said, staring at the table.

"Well, you can't waste it." My dad chided.

"Fine, I'll bring it home." The harshness of my voice surprised me.

"Honey, there is no need to talk like that…"my dad sounded surprised too.

"Can we just go? I don't feel good." I rose. "I'll wait outside." I fluidly walked away and as soon as I was out side, took in the fresh air in big heaving gasps.

My hands trembled. What was happening to me? I kicked at a rock, and it flew all the way across the street, and up the walk of the law firm next door.

Ignoring my own discomfort, I unlocked the car and closed my eyes in the back seat. I pretended to be asleep the whole ride home.

To avoid my mother touching me, I 'woke up' when we hit the driveway, and shot upstairs.

The next day was going to be terrible. If I could barley cope with a restaurant full of people, how would I fare in a school?

I 'got up' at 4, and got dressed, noting how my pants were a little lose. I was losing weight now too? My shirt was the same. I put a belt around my under my bust to hold my shirt in place, and hoped my pants would stay on for the rest of the day.

Ignoring the kitchen entirely, I got in my car and drove to school. I got gracefully out of the car, and walked smoothly into school, ignoring the looks I was getting. I hadn't changed _that_ much. I checked in the mirror this morning.

I held my breath until gym. The class was smaller than my others, so I hoped I could cope.

We were doing pole vaulting. Fun.

After holding my breath during instruction, I was up. All the skanks started to giggle.

"I bet she can't get her fat ass over the bar." One stage whispered. I ignored them, and started to run with the pole. I increased my speed, and praying to what ever god was out there, jammed my pole into the ground, and heaved with my arms.

I soared up smoothly into the air. Everything was crystal clear, and I angled my body over the bar, and remembering that landing on my feet would be supernatural-ish, I landed on my back.

I walked calmly over to one of those cookie-cutter guys, and ignoring the stunned silence, thrust the pole in his general direction, and then waited in line.

Nobody else even made it over.

Trying not to appear smug, I changed quickly, and exited the changing room before anyone else.

Ignorance was the only thing that saved me from the stares of my class mates.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lunch was terrible. I got a bag of chips, and maybe forced two or three down my throat. No need to look anorexic.

The rest of the day, I heard the whispers. By the end of the day, I had to pull up my pants in those quick, to fast to be human movements.

It is impossible to lose that much weight in 24 hours. Right?

And the worst part was, boys wouldn't stop staring! I answered a question in History, and for the rest of the day, they kept trying to get me to talk to them. I new everyone noticed the changes. My voice. My new found grace and popularity with the male gender.

But no. Chorus was absolutely dreadful. How do you hide that much talent? I put no vibrato in my voice, and tried to sing off key.

It didn't work, to put it frankly. My teacher even looked jealous.

Putting my head down on the steering wheel, I tried to figure out what to do.

Tell someone? Risk being studied like a new life form?

Don't tell, and make everyone suspicious? Risk them telling my parents?

My stomach growled. I hadn't eaten in 3 days. I had to puke up those potato chips later, along with anything else that had been keeping me going.

Fighting fatigue, I pulled out of school, and drove slowly home. It took me at least 5 minutes to find the strength to get out of the car. When I got inside the garage, I had to lean against the car on my way to the door.

A squeak and a flash of fur got my attention. My hand snatched out without my permission, and grabbed a mouse's tail. Dizzy from the sudden extersion, I lifted it up and looked at it.

A breeze drifted lazily into the garage, and made my head spin. This mouse smelt _REALLY _good. Without knowing what I was doing, I brought it to my mouth, and bit its neck. Blood flowed into my mouth, and instead of gagging, the burning diminished.

A few minutes later, I felt absolutely horrible, and was freaking out. I threw the mouse in the trash, then ran up stairs super speed, and brushed my teeth.

Hysteria creeping up on me, I wiped of my lips, and trembling, stared at my reflection.

I just drank the blood out of a mouse. I heaved, and fell on the toilet. But, I didn't throw up. And I wasn't tired anymore either. Sickened, I straightened, and walked down the stairs, refreshed.

I curled up in a ball on the couch. I was afraid of myself, and was afraid for my family. My face itched, and my whole body trembled. With a groan, I got up and grabbed my backpack.

I did my homework, then stared at the TV without seeing it. When my parents got home, I was in bed, pretending to be asleep.

To pass the time that night, I did the Rosetta Stone program on my dad's computer for Spanish. It seemed too easy to me, and my throat started to burn again. Despite that, I was fluent by midnight.

Hating my new freakish self, I went to take a shower. As I got undressed, horror gripped me.

My arms were stick thin, and I could lock my fingers around my wrist, and touch the knuckle closest to my nail. My legs were now shapely and thin. My stomach was flat. All flab I had was gone, replaced by muscle.

All that, after eating a mouse.

Scared, I took a quick shower at around 4, and snuck back to my room immediately. All of my clothes were too big. I grabbed a green t-shirt in the end, and tied it back with a rubber band. It fit me snugly, and accentuated my curves. I snuck into my parent's room, holding up my pants, and grabbed one of my dad's belts.

Even on the tightest one, they sunk to my new found hips. I could even see the hip bone.

I slipped back into the bathroom, and wiped the steam from the mirror.

A face that was not my own stared back.

My skin was flawless, smooth, and was deathly pale. My nose, which I called my Jewish nose **(it's a trait, I have nothing against Jewish people. I got the idea from a friend, she has one, ok?) **was gone, and a straight and angular one took its place.

My eyebrows were no longer bushy, but smooth and perfect. My eyelashes gave me an exotic look, and my dark curly hair was lustrous. As I gaped like a fish, I noticed under my new, bow-like lips, were a set of smooth, white even and straight teeth.

I looked like a model.

But the one change I new I could not hide were my eyes. Once brown, now were a honey yellow. Like a cat's.

With a trembling hand, I touched the mirror. Then, my face.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Trembling, I ran my hand over my face, and touched my nose, my lips, and my hair. Immediately, I started to panic. But my face remained smooth, impassive.

How was I going to hide this?

I could hide in bed all day as long as I could. That seemed like the best option. And I vowed to never drink blood from anything ever again. I crept back to bed, and stared at the ceiling, thinking a mix of Spanish and English.

As the first rays of sun from the dawn came through my window, I was still in the same position. I had observed overnight that my body did not move a inch if I didn't want it to. A normal human's body is always moving. Mine stayed as still as a statue.

Then, a prism on the wall caught my attention. Curious, I looked for the source, and gasped. When I turned my head, the prism moved with me. I pulled my arm out from under my blanket as fast as I could. Dazzling prism's of light reflected off it, and sparkled like diamonds.

I ran over and closed my blinds, plunging my room into darkness. In the corner of my eye, I noticed my reflection in the mirror. My face was gaunter, narrower. My eyes had turned coal black, and I had a frail look about me.

Frightened, I turned away, and my jeans fell off. Cursing, I rolled the top of them repeatedly until the fit again, then tightened the belt on over.

Feeling delirious, I left the house, and got in my car. It was time to tell someone. I started it up and peeled out. I was going to a hospital, and no one was going to stop me. They would treat me for anorexia and bulimia, and then I would be fixed. Good as new.

This freakish nightmare would be over. I drove north then west a little, until I passed into a small town called Forks. Realization hit me. I must have driven past 3 hospitals on my way here. I must be delirious. That made me laugh. What a funny word. Delirious. Delirium.

Giggling, I didn't watch the road; instead, I looked at the buildings flashing by. Then one was right in front of me.

My head smashed into the dashboard, denting it. No blood ran down my face, but my head rang and spun. Then the airbag deployed, slamming back against the seat, snapping it.

I stared up at the roof of the car and giggled. Delirious.

A few minutes later, sirens stopped next to me, so I stopped giggling. Instead, I sat up and got out to see what the commotion was about.

Maybe, there was a fire!

I looked around, but only saw EMT's rushing over. I didn't realize I was swaying until one grabbed my elbow, flinched at my cold skin, but held me upright as my knees and legs collapsed.

The swung me up easily onto a gurney, and then I was staring at the ceiling of a ambulance. They asked question after question, but I was mad, and didn't answer.

I wanted to see the fire! It would be cool, to see the building, the ladder…

Then we were in the hospital, then I was on a bed, and a very hot doctor was leaning over me, looking curious.

I sat up.

"Miss, please, lay back down!" he said, and pushed me gently back to the bed. To my utter surprise, I _hissed_ at him and sat back up.

He backed up, shocked.

Then, the most amazing scent wafted around the corner. I jumped off the bed and onto the floor. My legs would not hold me up.

I gasped, and dragged myself upright by grabbing onto the bed. He picked me up, and sat me down on the bed, and sat next to me.

"Are you a vampire?" He whispered. I laughed. A vampire! Yeah right.

"No, I'm a freak." I said, my voice rasping. He frowned.

"You have a heart beat." He said. I laughed again.

"Usually humans do. I'm surprised I still have one though. Considering I can do all of this other weird stuff." I ranted.

He looked worried. "My name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Can you tell me your name, and where you live?" he asked pulling out a cell phone.

"Oh sure! My name is Kelsey, and I'm from Gresham!" I said proudly. But then I frowned.

"I don't want to go back though. Don't make me, ok? I ate a mouse there. I drank its blood." I whispered.

He looked at me like I was crazy, and then nodded slowly.

"I will be right back, ok? Don't move, stay right there." He said. I just nodded, and fingered at the blanket. My sore throat was back, and my head was still spinning.

Even though that delicious scent was still around the corner, I didn't move. Dr. CC told me not to. That made me snort a little, and smile. CC.

He came back a moment later.

"Are you thirsty?" he asked.

"More than anything. I have had a sore throat like **forever**, so I decided to actually go to a hospital and get it all checked out!" I sang.

He looked away, and then up as a huge guy entered the room. Like serious weight lifter.

"Hey guy Heyyyy!" I chirped. He looked absolutely weirded out.

The Doctor man stood up and talked to him for a while, and I heard it all, but understood nothing.

Then, randomly, another man walked in. He was tall, with blond hair and a serious expression.

"Hey guy Heyyyy!" I chirped again. Weight lifter guy rolled his eyes.

"Kelsey, I'm going to move you now, ok?" Doctor CC said as he came over.

"Sure. Wassup Doc?" I said, and then laughed so hard, I cried.

My laughter died away as he picked me up bridal style, and jumped out the window. And then we were running like I could! Sweet!

Then I smelt mouse.

With a scream of excitement, I jumped out of his arms, and jumped into the bush, and grabbed the mouse, then flipped over in the air, and landed on my feet a couple yards away.

In an instant, that need came back. I drained the mouse in less than 30 seconds. Immediately my head stopped ringing, and I felt normal.

The Doctor and his buddies were standing exactly where I had jumped watching me. I walked over.

"Hi, I'm Kelsey. It's nice to meet someone similar to me." I stuck out my hand for him to shake. He just stared at it, then back to me.

"Hola, me llamo Kelsey. Me gusta conozco tu." **(sorry, I'm not that good at Spanish! In fact, I couldn't actually figure out the translation, and this is as close as I got.)**

Finally, he started laughing.

"Well, I'll be." He said, and then kept laughing.

"I KNEW you spoke English! But I wasn't sure. I was all psycho in there. And I'm not bipolar or have any mental illnesses. Cause I saw you run like I can!" I said, excited now.

I turned to the other guys. "And you ran that fast too! Maybe I'm not crazy after all!" I marveled.

"We need to talk Kelsey. Do you mind following us to our house?" He asked.

'Sure, just show me the way." I said. With that, they started to run. I had to run a little slow to keep up with them, but hey, I'm not alone anymore.

And that's the most important thing.

**Thank you for sticking with it this story! I know that the beginning was a little dull, but I had to explain. But now the Cullens are here! And I apologize for my crude Spanish. I know 'I like being familiar with you' is nothing like 'It's nice to meet someone like me'. But hey, I'm a freshman in high school. Cut me some slack.**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

When Doctor Carlisle and his friends finally stopped, my head was spinning again, filling me with dread. I would have to drink blood. Again.

The tall blond one stared at me intensely. Calm began to seep into my system. Ignoring him, and struggling to hold onto my common sense and thoughts, I walked into their house.

Even dealing with how tired I was, I was impressed with the house. It was very modern, with random un-modern pieces of furniture mixed with very futuristic pieces. I sat heavily onto a white square-ish couch when my knees began to tremble.

"Kelsey, I need you to tell me everything that has happened to you up to meeting me." Carlisle said, appearing beside me on the couch.

So I told them everything, even the stuff that I considered private. My life before my sore throat, once I had it, the physical and mental changes that had happened to me, everything.

I must have talked for hours. As I finished, Carlisle sat in silence for a moment. I started as I noticed more people had entered the room, and were standing at the foot of the stairs, listening.

I blushed, but no heat or color came into my cheeks.

"Kelsey, meet my family. Alice, Edward, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Bella and Jasper and I." He pointed everyone out to me casually. I noticed Bella was different; she hadn't been affected by this horrible nightmare. Good.

Edward nodded right after my thoughts finished. Weird.

I shook my head a little, clearing my thoughts.

"So, um, can you tell me why I am like this?" I said, staring at the plush white carpet.

'Do you remember anything at the hospital?" he asked. I thought about it.

"Hey guy hey and wassup doc. Other than that, nothing." I said. I heard someone chuckle.

"Do you believe in vampires?" Carlisle asked. Suddenly, everything was in perspective for me. I couldn't keep down human food. I had developed a need for mouse blood. I sparkled in the sun. My eyes.

"I do now." I said, still staring at the carpet. Wait a second.

"Shouldn't I be attracted to human blood?" I said, looking up and staring at Carlisle.

"My family and I are vampires, minus Bella. We do feel attracted to human blood, but choose to drink the blood of animals." He said. Bella smiled a little.

"This may seem like a odd question, but have you received a animal bite, have you been attacked, anything like that?" Carlisle asked, studying me.

"No, my parents hated animals, and kept me on a short leash so to speak." I replied.

"Kelsey, traditionally, to become a vampire, you must be bitten then endure three days of a transformation." Carlisle explained.

I flinched. "Endure?" I whispered.

"It is very very painful. Have you experienced any pain before you came here? Like serious pain?" Carlisle questioned.

"Only a few times, but it wasn't serious pain. I was hungry. Once was right before I ate the mouse in my garage, I was so tired, it hurt to move. And the other time, was I rode with my parents in a car to a restaurant. It was raining, and they smelled…" I trailed off.

"You resisted?" Jasper's voice rang through the silence, his tone filled with disbelief.

"I had to. They were my parents, and if I did something unusual, they would question me endlessly and probably put me in a psychiatric facility in a nice padded cell." I said bitterly.

Alice flinched. It was so small, I barely noticed.

"Amazing." Edward muttered.

"Why is this such a big deal?! I didn't do anything super important!" I cried.

"Simply put, you are turning into a vampire with no pain, and usually a brand new vampire is so ruled by their need for blood, they are near impossible to control and reason with." Carlisle said.

I stared at the carpet again.

"Do you want me?" Bella asked randomly.

'Um, what?" I asked, confused.

"Do you want to drink my blood?" Bella rephrased the question.

As I took a deep breath, I noticed Edward move to stand in front of her. She smelled good, but her heart was beating like mine. I couldn't kill her, it wouldn't be right.

Edward smiled and moved back to Bella's side.

"You have amazing self-control." He told me.

"I think of it more as morally correct." I said.

He frowned. 'How so?"

"It seems absolutely wrong to me to kill anything, so I feel no need to do so." I said.

Before Edward could say anything, my stomach rumbled.

"Yes! Another human, but they drink blood! Awesome!" Emmett yelled.

**Los siento! ****I'm so sorry! It is finals week at my high school, and I have been under a TON of stress. Plus, my brand-spankin new braces aren't helping. Just today, a wire fell out, and it hurts like a son of a batch of cookies! Anyhoo, thank you for your patience, and I hoped you enjoyed the chappie!**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I would have blushed a deep, deep red, but my skin just flushed a little.

"Are you blushing???" Alice asked.

"I guess so, when I blushed just a little earlier, my skin didn't change but now…" I said, feeling the sudden warmth in my cheeks.

"Well, we should take you hunting." Carlisle said, and stood up. I did too, but had to hang on to the arm of the couch to keep from falling.

"Come on!" Emmett said enthusiastically, and flew out the door. I forced myself to jog after them, and stopped dead. Emmett was all the way over the small river going through their back yard.

"It's not so hard." Carlisle said next to me. He backed up a little, ran, and then jumped. His body flew an amazing three extra yards across the river.

Taking a deep breath, I backed up. Then, I ran as fast as I could, and jumped. I was in the air then, flying, defying gravity…

…and crashed into a tree.

"Ow son of a…" I trailed off as I then fell out of the tree.

Carlisle was by my side in a second.

"You have bruises!" he said, sounding absolutely astounded.

"I should have a lot more than that…" I said, hauling myself up off the ground.

"Oh." I said, looking at the small twig embedded under my skin.

I reached down and grabbed the end of it, and yanked.

It came out, along with some blood.

I gasped after I inhaled deeply. I smelled AMAZING…

Then Edward was on top of me, and Jasper was behind him, eyes coal black. Emmett was holding him back for some reason…?

Then I gasped again.

I had wanted to eat myself.

I convulsed involuntarily.

Then Edward was 5 yards away, backpedaling to slow himself down.

I screamed. I was in a huge bubble, which was slightly pinkish in color. It surrounded me completely, with room left over.

"Oh my god, oh my god…" I said, and touched the bubble. My hand slid right through it, to the fresh air outside.

I stepped out side the bubble, and it vanished.

"Holy shit." I said, trembling.

Emmett started laughing, who was still holding Jasper.

"She's got a power! Awesome! Do it again!" he said, still laughing.

Carlisle walked over to me, and stood a little closer than usual.

He reached out to touch me, and the bubble sprang up again, out of nowhere, and his hand ran into it.

"Sorry Edward!" I said, and stepped out of the bubble again.

"it's not your fault." He said, brushing himself off.

"Kelsey, lets hunt, we will talk about this later." Carlisle said.

I ran after him, my body almost on empty. Emmett and Jasper gave us a head-start. I still don't know why…

Edward flinched a little.

Then I smelt something huge, but it smelled soooo good.

I ran at it, and then pounced.

Right onto a huge grizzly bear.

I bit into its throat, and its claws ran down my back with horrible screeching sounds.

And they did nothing, only left some minor bruises.

I drained the grizzly, and energy poured into me, as if I had drank a whole case of Redbull.

"Whoa!" I said.

"Well, that's amazing. You go for the biggest thing in the forest, you don't get a speck of blood on yourself, and you make bubbles." Emmett said from behind me.

I turned around and smiled.

"I try my best Emmett." I said.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Feeling alive with my new found energy, I beat everyone home, and was sitting on the couch waiting for them by the time they made it back.

"Hi." I said, sprawled on the couch.

"You are faster than Edward! Cool!" Emmett said.

"Mmhmm." I said, staring at the ceiling. After a second, a spec of pink bubble appeared. I pulled on it with my mind until it started to grow.

"This is amazing! Your powers are developing faster than nay vampire's I have ever seen."

I let it collapse, to tired to hold it open.

Suddenly Alice was standing in front of me. I just managed to keep the bubble that appeared from running into her face.

"Don't scare me like that!" I said, and waved the bubble into oblivion.

She just grinned, grabbed my arm and dragged me up the stairs.

"Um, where are we OMG!" I said, staring at her huge closet.

'When I first saw you, I knew we were the same size!" she said happily, and dove into the mound of clothes.

"Here, put this on." She said, throwing some clothes at me.

It turned out to be a black cardigan, a blue strapless floral print dress, black tights, and some brown boots. **(my friend wore this, it was to die for)**

I changed super speed.

"Hmmm, the cardigan hides your bra straps…good. I'm going to have to take you shopping!" she said.

"Poor Kelsey." I heard Bella say downstairs.

"Ummm…" I said, inching towards the door. Then I booked it, sliding down the railing and landing on the couch.

'Come back! I have to show you your new room!" Alice called down the stairs.

"Room?" I asked.

"Of course! Did you think we were going to make you sleep on the couch?" Alice said, appearing next to me.

"But…what about my parents? My life? Can you just treat me for this…thing and take me back home? I mean, you guys have been great, and I thank you for everything, but I don't want this." I said.

Alice's face showed pity.

"Carlisle has a theory that your body evolved to be this way. He's going to have to run some tests that will take several months. And once you become a real vampire, You won't be able to go home." She said calmly.

"Not go home? Why? I can make up excuses for the not eating, and the appearance-"

"As vampires, we live forever." Rosalie said; the first thing she had ever said to me.

"WHAT????" I screamed.

"Nice going Rose." Emmett said, earning him a smack.

"I won't die???" I cried, getting angry.

'Well, you still have a heart beat, so we don't know, but we won't die, no." Rosalie said, almost smugly.

Freaking out, I just ran. Booking it, knowing that they couldn't catch me, I just ran. I wanted out of this nightmare!

I ran, until I _smelled_ the sea. Furious with just being able to do that, I skidded to a stop on the beach. A huge cliff lay a couple meters away. I dashed toward it, and scaled it easily, even in a dress.

Then I stood on the highest platform, on the very edge, looking down at the sea.

'Kelsey! Come down!" Edward yelled from the far end of the beach.

"Why?! I can't die! I don't care what happens to me now!" I cried back.

He growled. It was really loud too.

Then hot breath was on the back of my neck.

The bubble popped up instantly, and out of habit, I put it down, as I turned.

A huge russet wolf was staring me down, with large black eyes, and its face in a gruesome snarl.

"Is this the best you got?!" I screamed at the sky. "It takes more than a wolf to kill me!" Then I turned, and threw myself off the cliff.

**Sorry! I know this is super, SUPER late, but I have had a lot of work to do lately. With school, lots of doctors appointments, and with my general laziness, I haven't had time to write! This chapter was a little angsty, but I hope you liked it!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

My short dress ballooned around me, into a small little bubble. I fell straight down, waiting to die.

I had to, right?

I sliced through the water like a knife. The water wasn't cold, but it soaked through my clothes and hair, making them swirl around me.

It was so beautiful under water.

So quiet, still. Then, I realized I wasn't breathing. Damn it! I couldn't drown, I didn't need to breathe.

I stayed in the water though, floating down, down, down…

Then something warm and strong wrapped around my waist and yanked, hard.

I flipped my hair out of my eyes as my head broke above the water.

A huge half naked boy was dragging me through the water.

Then I was on the beach.

I yanked myself away from him, desperate to go back to the cliff to try again. I had to be able to die! This wasn't natural-

He grabbed my wrist, and towed me over to the Cullen's. Even planting my feet did nothing to stop him, even wailing on his arm!

I raised my arm, determined to stop him. Then I made the biggest and hardest bubble I could, and he went flying.

With all of my dignity, I wringed out my hair, and turned back to the cliff.

"Kelsey, stop it! You can't die, just accept it!" Bella yelled.

"This shouldn't be happening! Damn it, I didn't choose this! Mother F-!" I cried, pacing on the beach.

I shook out my hands and wrung out my dress as I did so.

"Kelsey, I know this is hard for you to understand, but we all went through this." Esme called.

"What was that for!?" the angry half-naked guy was back.

'For not letting me die, that's why!" I yelled right back.

"A suicidal vampire???!!" He asked, turning on the Cullen's.

"Yes, I just randomly one day got a sore throat and the next day, BOOM, I'm running faster than an airplane! I mean what the hell is wrong with the world!" I cried.

Lots of wolves entered the beach, but I ignored them.

"Can you fix it Carlisle? Please?" I asked, striding over.

"I-"

"You're on our land leech." Said the boy.

I turned on him.

"Will you shut up for one second?! This is an EXTREMLEY important conversation, regarding the fact if I have to be a freak the rest of my life! We need a minute or 5, so back off!" I yelled, and then turned around to face Carlisle.

"Kelsey, here is really not the place…" Carlisle said, looking around nervously at the surrounding wolves.

'Can you at least thank me for saving your life? Jeez!" said the boy.

"NO, I can't, because you can't save my life, because apparently, nothing can kill me. Only, that man can, so stop interrupting me!" I hissed in his face, pointing at Carlisle. I came up to about shoulders.

"What is going on with her?" he asked Carlisle.

Carlisle took a deep breath, and then explained everything in a few easy sentences.

'Damn, sucks to be you." The boy said.

"Damn it, will you shut the fuck up?!" I yelled at him, swelling with anger.

'Oh noes, I got the little human/vampire angry, oh no." The boy said, holding up his hands in mock surrender and laughing.

With a hiss, I put him in a bubble, and stepped inside it.

Then I punched him in the stomach.

"Ass." I said, and then punched him in the balls.

"Aw, come on Kelsey, let him out." Emmett said, laughing.

With a groan, the boy stood up straight. He tried to swing at me, but I stepped out of the bubble, causing him to hit the equivalent of a brick wall.

Howling with pain, he waved his hand in the air.

Then another boy was walking down the beach towards us.

"What is it with ya'll being half naked?" I asked. He frowned, but stuck out his hand to shake.

'Sam, and does it bother you?" he asked.

"Not really, it's just so annoying…" I said. A loud pop in the bubble caused me to spin. The russet wolf was back, and it was scratching and biting at the bubble.

"Wasn't he just a boy before…?" I asked.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sam sighed.

"Yes. We are shape-shifters, and we shift into wolves. That is why we run so warm." He said. With a sigh, I sat down on a rock.

"I give up." I muttered. "This world is just insane." Alice laughed.

'That's the spirit! Now Sam, you heard us explain to Jacob, so that is our excuse. We meant no harm, and we will leave now." She said smoothly, striding over and pulling me up.

I got ready to run away.

"Wait! You have to let Jacob out!" Sam called, sounding slightly amused, slightly pissed.

"Oh." I said, turning back.

With a snap of my fingers, the bubble vanished. Jacob immediately lunged at me, but I put myself in a bubble, and he flew right at it, with a satisfying crunch.

"Sorry." I said, as a reflex.

The wolf just growled. So I turned and left with the Cullen's, and ran back to the house.

Edward started laughing.

"You should have heard his thoughts! He was so mad, it was more than amusing."

"Oh, geez, something more insane. You can read people's thoughts?" I asked, sprawling on the couch again.

"Of course." He said, sounding surprised. Then he turned to Carlisle.

"There was no time to tell her." He said calmly.

"Kelsey, vampires get abilities, bringing their most prominent trait to the next life. Some vampires like Emmett," He gestured to him, "don't really have a 'power'. Emmett is just a little stronger than I for example. But I have the ability to read minds." He said.

"So that's why I can make these random bubbles?" I asked.

"Yes, although I have a theory about those. I think they are actually force-fields. This is why we need to discuss why you need to control them." Carlisle said, looking very serious and solemn all of a sudden.

"Not all vampires are like us. Most do prey on humans. Most vampires are nomads, and travel alone. Our coven here is even stranger because it is so large.

There is only one group larger than ours, a royal family called The Volturi. They are royal because they have taken responsibility for the entire vampire race.

There is one rule about becoming a vampire. You must follow it or the Volturi will come and kill you, for the good of our race.

This rule is simple. Do not expose us and our secrets. The Volturi has an army full of people with powers like most of us have here. If the Volturi learns of you or your talent, they will ask you to serve.

We could refuse, but you can't. You are not fully a vampire, and could be killed for 'exposing our secrets.' This is why you must control those force fields of yours."

I sat silent after Carlisle's speech.

"Do the Volturi drink animal blood?" I asked. Carlisle shook his head.

"They bring in 'food' from elsewhere." He said.

"As for a happier topic, I can see the future!" Alice said cheerfully, breaking through the gloom that settled over me.

"Let me guess, you saw me going shopping with you." I groaned. She just laughed and jumped up and down.

"I can control emotions of those around me." Jasper said, keeping his distance. That was really starting to bother me…shit.

Edward.

Edward smiled a little, but his face remained like stone.

"Jasper, do I smell or something?" I asked. Confusion ran all over his face for a second.

"Yes. You smell to good, I want to eat you." He said, not smiling.

"But I'm a vampire…" I said.

"Not yet. You still have a heartbeat. That's why I stay away from Bella too. I don't have perfect control yet, like Carlisle." He said with a sigh. I made myself as happy as possible to lift his gloom.

'So what? It will come in time. You only have like, forever to get a hold of it." I said, rolling my eyes.

Jasper laughed.

**Sorry, but I love Jasper to death, and I had to get that in there! **

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Alice immediately whisked me upstairs for new clothes, I could still get sick. And also because Bella had to go home, so she needed another Barbie.

After being thrown into the shower, I ended up in a pair of skinnies, with kitten heeled red flats, and pinstripe jacket with a red tank underneath. Then she attacked my hair, blow drying it, then putting it up in a lose bun, some of my loose curls falling out.

I went back down stairs and stared at the ceiling. That was becoming a habit of mine.

"Kelsey! Let's go hunt!" Emmett called enthusiastically.

I was at his side in a second. I managed to hold in the bubble that was going to separate us.

"I'm ready when you are." I told him.

"Sweet!" He yelled, and jumped over the river, then booked it into the forest. I was right on his tail, and then took the lead.

"Hey! No fair!" he called. I just laughed, and turned a little west, there were some mountain lions over there.

After I caught one and fed, I was proud to find not a speck of blood on me. I caught Emmett's scent and ran his direction.

I practiced running full speed at him, and stopping at the last second, trying to keep in those damn bubbles.

Panting, I backed up again. Emmett learned to ignore me, focusing on getting another grizzly.

I ran full force again, and made it about halfway.

Gasping, I slid to my knees. My heart felt like it was going to fly out of my chest.

"Kelsey?" Emmett reached me before his voice did.

When I didn't answer, he picked me up and almost flew back to the house.

"What happened?" Carlisle demanded as soon as we stepped in.

"I don't know. She was working on controlling her bubbles and she was running a lot, and then she just collapsed." Emmett reported, putting me on the dining room table.

I didn't realize my eyes were closed until Carlisle peeled one back and shone a pen light in.

I was slow to blink.

Muttering something, he pulled out a stethoscope and placed it on my heart.

His mouth dropped open.

He put me on a heart monitor, and the wild beeping could be heard all around. The monitor was a mess of green; my heart was pumping so fast.

"Kelsey, calm down." Carlisle ordered. I hadn't realized I was hyperventilating. Oops.

I took a deep breath and held it. After three seconds, I let it out.

"Good, keeping doing that." Carlisle said, and then talked with the family in voices to low for me to hear.

I focused on breathing, and memorized patterns in the ceiling.

"Kelsey, did you have asthma?" Carlisle asked, and I shook my head, still focusing on breathing.

He frowned.

"Kelsey, you have a human heart, and supernatural strength and speed. Your heart can't take it. You're going to have to wait until you fully evolve."

I laughed a little. My heart rate had slowed back to a normal range.

"Is that you theory? …I evolved?' I asked, leaving room to breathe.

"Yes, and you went into cardiac arrest. A normal human would have died. It's hard to wrap my mind around." Carlisle said, shaking his head.

As the rest of the family arrived, they were filled in on the situation before they left for school.

"Damn, take it easy." Emmett said laughing.

"Shut it you." I said playfully, and smacked his arm.

"Hey, no strenuous activity!" He teased, and then danced out of reach of the table I was still on.

I glared at him, and slid off it, and walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Hey, watch it. I'm a ticking time bomb, according to Carlisle. My heart could blow any second!" I said with mock enthusiasm. He laughed, and then frowned.

"Just take it easy." Alice said.

Then the Cullen's left to go to school.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Carlisle questioned me through-out the rest of the day. On what I had been doing to trigger the attack, what had happened after, previous medical conditions…

Then, I allowed him to take some of my blood for a DNA sample. He would take one everyday until I fully evolved. That was the theory, and he was out to prove it.

As he poured over his microscope that had my blood under the slide, I walked around his office, studying the old, and the new. I came across his picture of the Volturi and couldn't help but shudder a little. They could be totally un-involved in my life, or they could be my executioners.

I came across a file called WJ, and my curiosity was rewarded with the most disgusting smell.

"Oh my god!" I said, and waved my hand to dissipate the smell. Carlisle looked up, saw the file, and frowned.

"What is that awful, ugh?!" I said, coughing.

"Save your air, I can't have you going into cardiac arrest again." Carlisle said half joking, half serious.

I held my breath until my heart slowed down.

"Fascinating, your scent is coming in. You couldn't smell them on the beach, but now…You are evolving faster than I thought." He said, and dashed back to his microscope.

He gasped when he peered into it.

"Your blood is evolving, even though it is no longer a part of your body. Amazing…" I left him to the microscope and went downstairs, aching a little.

Esme met me in the hallway.

"I'm going hunting dear." She said. I just nodded as she disappeared. Bored beyond belief, I moped around the house for the rest of the day.

So when Emmett appeared next to me, I grabbed both armrests of the chair I was sitting in an effort to keep the bubble in.

Of course, he also scared the living crap out of me, causing Carlisle to come shooting down the stairs to make sure my heart wouldn't explode.

"So, what did you do today?" Emmett asked after being reprimanded, smacked and glowered at, all of the above having no affect on him whatsoever.

"Oh nothing, just Carlisle gushing over how my blood has a mind of its own." I said with a sigh.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Never mind." I said, laughing a little.

When the rest of the family got back from hunting, minus Edward and Bella, they decided to bet on when my heart would give out.

Well, let me rephrase. Emmett decided for them.

"Alice, no cheating!" he whined, flicking her, breaking her concentration.

"Touch me again and I swear to-"

"Oh cheer up. Your wager?" he asked.

I groaned, and put my head in my hands. My whole body ached and throbbed with discomfort. I'm surprised I didn't have Jasper crawling up the walls and twitching. Since this morning, it had moved from just my toes, to my whole body, mostly my chest.

"I'm gonna have a heart attack Carlisle." I said. Everyone stopped talking.

He was by my side in less than a second.

"How do you know?" he asked, while Alice 'cheated' and had a vision.

"Chest pain." I said through gritted teeth.

His frown deepened.

"Let's get you upstairs." He said, and lifted me effortlessly, and in a second, I was laying on his and Esme's bed.

My heart sped up for no particular reason. I gasped and my hand formed into little claws. Whenever it had to work harder, it hurt like a bitch.

I closed my eyes as he worked around me like a mad man. After a while, I heard Edward and Bella arrive, and a comment or two from downstairs.

I was very drowsy, not quite awake or asleep. It was nice, the closest I had come to sleeping for in a long time.

Slowly, I could hear everything downstairs like it was being shouted into me ear, and after a moment, the all of the incredible patterns in the ceiling like they were under a microscope.

I conserved energy as much as possible. Breathing even hurt, it made my heart accelerate. I held my breath most of the time.

As the hours passed, I felt the ache and discomfort move closer and closer to the last human part of me.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

What really bugged me was that it took Jasper all day to notice my discomfort. When he finally picked up on it and started twitching, I was ready to try to find a way to kill myself.

It felt like someone had stuck a red-hot cattle prod into my heart and was slowly turning it. Slooowwlllyyy.

Jasper left the house after only a few minutes of this. Wuss.

I wondered if this was really not as bad as a vampire transformation.

Then my heart started its cardiac arrest routine. The monitor I was on was beeping so fast, it sounded like I was flat lining.

And I screamed at the top of my lungs. Now someone was yanking it out. Just taking their time of course, but still, pulling it out.

I could barely hear Carlisle moving around the room and frantically saying something to someone. My skin itched and burned. My eyes shot open as my chest heaved, trying to hold back my heart.

I saw Edward race by, then Carlisle. Then I couldn't take it anymore. My skin was on fire, literally, burning. With a wild yell, I sat up, and started to hit my arms, my face.

Put out the fire.

"Edward hold her down, she'll hurt herself!" I heard Carlisle yell.

Put out the fucking fire!

"I can't hold her, she is too strong! Emmett!" Edward yelled by my ear.

Then I was screaming it. "PUT OUT THE FIRE! GET AWAY, IT WILL BURN YOU TOO!!!" I swatted Edward away. He didn't have to die.

"Carlisle, her thoughts, ugh!" Edward said, grabbing his head, just as Emmett barged in, stepped through the fire like it was nothing, and got behind me and crushed me in a hug.

I wiggled and squirmed, the heart monitor still going like crazy.

"Kelsey, look at me. There is no fire. You're hallucinating. Calm down!" Carlisle said.

My eyes rolled back into my head, and I started to shake so hard, Emmett was shaking too.

When I screamed, the note was high and clear, echoing into the silence. It was eerie. I used all of my energy to make a bubble. It surrounded the whole fire, and pushed Carlisle and Emmett out.

Then, for god knows how long, I writhed on the floor like a snake, screaming. My bubble held strong, with out my putting energy into it.

I dug my hands into the floor and clawed at it. Let it end!

"KELSEY! DROP THE DAMN BUBBLE!" I heard Emmett bellow.

The fire licked at the edges of the bubble, cooking me. In my own little pressure cooker.

I had to be in hell. It was the only place that could be so _hot!_

After an hour, my heart beat slowed to nearly a dead stop. This was peaceful, and I was dreaming. My past life flashed before my eyes.

_The sluts laughing at me in gym, my parents barely talking to me that day. I saw the disappointment in their eyes. My mom pulled out her blackberry and started texting as I told her about my horrible day. My dad read the newspaper. Both had that look in their eyes._

"_Why is our daughter so plain, awkward and a social out-cast?!"_

Thud. My heart was making a pitiful effort to stay alive.

_The sore throat that had plagued me for nearly a month. It wasn't so bad, but then it was un-bearable. Me snapping at that one slut in anger. Puking up anything I tried to eat. The amount of water I had consumed. My pants sliding down to my knees, the sunlight on my arm._

"Any minute now. Her blood sample here is almost finished." Carlisle said in his office.

"I'm looking at her right now." Jaspers voice was close, and echoed a little.

_My hysterical laughter as I drove through town after town, delirious. My hands shaking on the wheel, the bags under my eyes. My sunken cheeks, the coal black, hungry eyes._

I sighed. My heart stuttered, but pushed out another pulse. Edward paced downstairs, transfixed by my memories.

"Is the bubble still up?" Carlisle asked.

Thud.

"Yes." Jasper said. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back.

Then, I just let go. I relaxed, and my face smoothed. Under closed lids, my last memory as a human shot me through with guilt.

_Trying not to eat my parents as I got in the car. The whole way there, fighting against myself, the rain is falling gently on the window pane. _

Thud.

_At the restaurant, not eating a spec, and going outside to breathe. _

_Going home and not talking to my parents ever again._

I gasped and sat up when my heart did not beat again, my eyes fluttering open.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

I got up so fast, I ran into my own bubble, tripped, and then fell back inside it, much to the Cullen's frustration.

I bolted to my feet again, and gasped, twirled and shrieked.

Carlisle and Esme's once beautiful room was destroyed. It looked like the movie _Saw_ had taken place here.

Huge claw marks about a foot long were gouged into the wood, and the windows were broken. The bed was split down the middle, and chunks of the lower half of the walls were gouged in deep.

I covered my face with my hands and took deep breaths.

"Kelsey." I ignored Carlisle, who was on the other side of the bubble, and continued breathing evenly.

"Kelsey, drop the bubble so I can come in and check you out." He said. I ignored him again.

I threw back my head and stared at the ceiling. I jumped up and down lightly, and shook out my hands.

"Kelsey, you have kept that bubble up for 24 hours. You need medical attention." He said.

"J-just give me a minute!" I breathed, panicking. I paced.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Well, you went into cardiac arrest again. You put up a terrific fight once you started seeing fire. Unfortunately, you were screaming at us too, and you, well, broke the windows.

You then proceeded to trap us outside of your bubble, so we had to watch you suffer from the outside for about a half a day. The entire transformation took exactly 24 hours."

I finally looked up to see him, Emmett and Jasper on the other side of the bubble, all looking extremely tense.

'Why are you feeling so guilty?" Jasper asked, confused.

"Edward knows why." I whispered, going back to surveying the damage I had inflicted on the house.

"Her last human memory is not exactly pleasant, and she is sorry for destroying the room." Edward said softly downstairs.

Carlisle sighed, and clicked his tongue. Warily, I made the bubble disappear.

Slowly, Carlisle, flanked by Emmett and Jasper walked forward. Then he laughed, and took me into a hug. The action surprised me, so I stood as straight as a stick.

"You are so silly. Forget about the room! It can be easily fixed. And as for that memory…you have us." He said, standing back, and looking at me from arms length.

"You turned out beautiful." He said, looking me up and down. I blushed. Then I noticed what I was wearing.

The second outfit from I had gotten from Alice was completely destroyed. The pants had long slashes in them, and the shirt hung from me in tatters.

"Um, I think I should hunt, then get some clothes." I said, staring at myself and blushing.

"Alright, let's go. After you've hunted, we'll bring everyone back, minus Alice, who will be here in like 10 seconds, to see you."

"Uh, where did they go?" I asked, confused.

"Well, Kelsey, you were kind of dangerous. You're transformation is the most violent I have ever seen. And the most physically demanding." He said carefully.

I took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling, one of my past times now, it seemed.

"Ok, hunt." I said to myself. I would not fall off the wagon, or lose my self control.

"Mmmkay, I got this. Let's go get some grizzlies!" I said enthusiastically, as Alice appeared.

She gave me a once over.

"You are going to be so much fun!" she 'squeed' behind Jasper. He gave her the 'ok', and she bounded forward to hug me.**(Sqeeing is like having a little squeal/spaz)**

"For some reason, I am scared and nervous." I said, as she stepped back and looked me over again.

"Don't be silly." She said calmly, turning to look at me from all angles. This was getting a tad creepy.

"Can we hunt please?" I begged.

Jasper laughed, and soon I was following him and Carlisle out the window, followed by Emmett and an enthusiastic Alice.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I ran faster than any of the Cullen's, and caught a grizzly and three deer. I didn't want to see myself.

My eyes would be red. I was now officially a vampire. That made humans even more appetizing.

I waited for the Cullen's to finish, then we ran home. Edward was back, along with Esme, Bella, and Rosalie. Everyone watched my new reaction to Bella with caution.

I had frozen as soon as I walked in the doorway, for two reasons.

One, obviously, was Bella. Why did she smell so god damn good? I mentally slapped myself. I would NOT lose control.

Two, I could see a little ways down the hallway, a mirror. And seeing myself scared me. I watched my face stiffen in surprise, and with horror, watched my eyes swirl from that sinister red to a coal, hard black.

Other than that, I was good, and looked the same.

I clenched my hands into fists, and closed my eyes as I started to shake. I did the only thing I could do.

I made a bubble around Bella, which NO ONE could get into. Then, my instincts took over, and I attacked it, resulting in me flying backwards from it.

I stayed on my back, and bit my lip to keep from crying out. I lost control, _already._

Jasper stood over me, looking like a battle-hardened soldier, but still in shock.

"Why? And why so soon?" I whispered.

Carlisle stood next to Jasper.

"You're not used to smelling this well. You could only resist before because you weren't fully evolved. It's not your fault." He said, looking amazed and saddened at the same time.

"It's ok Kelsey, really. I'm so safe, not even the Volturi could get me. You saved me and attacked me at the same time." Bella said softly from inside the shimmering bubble.

I sighed, and allowed Edward to pass through the bubble, and he shot through and grabbed Bella and hugged her.

I got up slowly, and leaned against the door frame, Carlisle and Jasper still in front of me.

"This sucks." I said.

"You'll get used to it, really. You just have to resist. You have a tool to help you though. Your force-fields." Jasper said.

"Bella, if you don't mind, can I keep that up a bit longer? You can walk around and everything." I said, gazing at the bubble.

She shrugged. "Won't that take a lot of energy though?" she asked.

"Nope, I guess evolving let me keep them up on their own. I'm not putting energy into it." I said, and she smiled.

"Yeah, sure." She gingerly sat down on the couch, the bubble forming to fit her body as she sat.

"Maybe that's a good thing Bella! You won't trip as often now!" Emmett said gleefully from the stairs.

Bella flushed.

"Shut up Emmett. Although it does have other uses. I can't even smell you anymore." Edward said, and then stepped into the bubble.

"Well, now I can, but that's not the point. I can only get in because Kelsey is letting me. If she can go a little without the bubble on you each day, she can train herself not to attack you." Edward said, deep in thought.

"It would help me too." Jasper said quietly. I noticed that now that I was calmed down, and Bella's scent was no longer in the air, Jasper looked more relaxed then I had ever seen him.

"Sure?" I said. Emmett laughed at me.

"It's settled then. And Kelsey, I want to work on those force-fields of yours. See what else they can do." Carlisle said, and gave me some space.

I walked over to the couch, and plopped down next to Bella. I touched the bubble, just to make sure.

It was hard and strong underneath my fingertips. Satisfied, I began to pull away. But the longer I kept my hand there, the longer the bubble was a part of me.

I could _feel_ how pink it was. And who was allowed in, the texture, everything.

Interested, I thought only about tiger stripes, for as long and as hard as I could. After a little energy drained out of me, the bubble changed color.

"Whoa!" Emmett yelled, and touched the surface.

"Rawr." Bella said playfully, and kissed Edward on the lips.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

After taking demands from the family on making color-changing bubbles, I was exhausted and disappointed. I had almost _killed_ Bella, and everyone was all hunky-dory about it!

I was currently lying on the spare bed in the guest bedroom, trying very hard not to think. Whenever I started to think how stupid I had been today, Edward would give me a long rant about how I was new, and it was normal.

If I thought about how good Bella smelled, he would tell Jasper and I would be exiled from the house for the day.

"Stop beating yourself up Kelsey." He said from downstairs, sharing the bubble with Bella.

I snarled a little in reply.

Remember you morals. _You are not that evil…_ I chanted for a while. Then, without telling anyone, I made a small hole in the bubble. The scent went through it sluggishly, but in a constant, slow stream.

Perfect.

I thought about how good of a person Bella was. Her family, her life. The scent burned not as strongly in my throat. I didn't want to kill her. Yet.

By then, the entire Cullen family finally noticed Bella's scent and were freaking out. Emmett was up the stairs in less than a second, ready to hold me back.

I kept my eyes closed, and my relaxed position on the bed.

"Kelsey, what are you doing?" he asked.

I took a deep breath, and her scent burned its way down my throat. I fought the monster within and stayed in the same position.

"Practicing." I breathed, and sucked in more air.

I opened my eyes slowly. Emmett looked wary, standing in the doorway.

I smiled a little. I won.

"Don't scare us like that again!" Rosalie hissed from downstairs.

"Bite me." I muttered, and closed my eyes again, focusing on taking deep breaths.

"Good job Kelsey." Bella said from downstairs.

"Kesley, try coming downstairs." Jasper said from below.

I got up and at a human pace, walked to the top of the stairs. Her scent called out to me more now. I thought about Bella and her friends, family, life.

_Don't eat._ I thought to myself, and then laughed a little.

Slowly, I descended the stairs. Bella was calmly lying down in her bubble, the rest of the family scattered around.

I inhaled sharply, and relished my self control. I gasped a little at the burn. Bella was a dangerous drug to me, it hurt to resist.

Edward laughed at my thoughts.

I stood perfectly still as Bella even got up and ran around the room for me. She got closer and closer, and soon, she was running in tight circles around me.

I was in a Bella tornado.

The burning started to creep up…

'Stop." I said, teeth clenched.

She immediately sat back down on the couch.

The air swirled around me, then disappeared. My eyes had turned black again, but I continued to breathe normally.

"Your self control is amazing. Wanna go hunt?" Jasper asked.

"I need to." I admitted.

"I'll go with you." Carlisle said.

We took off, and I couldn't help but fully relax as soon I was away from Bella.

We streaked through the forest.

A new scent reached me, and I stopped. It was vampire, but not one I knew.

Carlisle and Jasper had also stopped, looking stiff.

Jasper looked absolutely terrifying. I swiftly closed the space between us, and stood behind them.

"Welcome Jane." Carlisle said quietly.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

A very small and petite woman stepped out of the forest. She was beautiful, but her eyes were sinister.

"Carlisle." She greeted him. Her high bubbly soprano did not match her facial expression, or body language.

"Who is this?" she asked, her gazing finding its way to my face. I stiffened reflexively.

"This is Kelsey. She just joined my coven." Carlisle said calmly.

Jane walked a circle around me.

"Does she have any powers? Anyone from your coven usually has some incredible ability." She simpered, still circling. I was about to snap.

"She can create small force fields. Most of them fall apart at impact." Carlisle lied smoothly.

"Can they block _anything?"_ she asked. I resisted the urge to shudder.

"Not well, but yes." I said.

Then the most amazing yet terrifying thing happened. I could see her smile, almost in slow motion. Then a black tendril came toward me. It was almost impossible to see, but I could just sense it.

The bubble snapped up instantly. As the tendril and it connected, I lurched. I could feel the numbing pain just on the other side. It was hungry, it wanted ME.

Jane snarled.

"You lied Carlisle! This force-field is holding up extraordinarily well!" She shrieked, and threw herself at me. I flinched at the noise created as she smashed into the bubble.

I ran over to Carlisle and Jasper and the bubble blossomed around them.

Her face was in an ugly snarl as she stood up.

"Aro will hear about this." Then she bolted into the forest.

I held the bubble up for a full minute more after she left.

"We need to get back, now. I'm sure Alice has already told everyone, but they will want the details.

"But not until later. We have some unfinished business." Jane was back, flanked by 3 other burly vampires.

The bubble flashed up.

"Aro seeks your counsel. COME!" Jane screamed mockingly.

I focused on her, and felt my way into her insides, which was not pleasant. Slowly, inside of her, I made a small bubble.

I felt my energy trickle away as I forced the bubble to expand.

Jane frowned, and put a hand on her abdomen.

With a gasp, I expanded it as far as it would go. Bits of Jane went everywhere, and the bubble surrounding Jasper, Carlisle and I shattered.

I fell to my knees. I felt like I had run a marathon, and I panted for unnecessary breath.

The two burly vampires launched their attack.

I gritted my teeth and swayed upright. Carlisle and Jasper were fierce, dancing in and out from the Volturi vampires.

I winced as I heard the shredding noise of vampire limbs falling.

I gasped as it was Jasper who backed away without an arm.

Then the other vamp was on top of me, slashing.

I lept up and tackled him to the ground, and bit his neck, yanking my head back.

The grinding noise made me cringe as I cut away a chunk of his neck. Then he had picked me up and thrown me across the clearing, and into a tree.

Jasper's arm crawled past me.

I picked it up and threw it at him, just as Edward, Emmett, Esme and Rosalie burst into the clearing.

The vampire kicked me in the stomach before falling under Emmett and Rosalie.

I slowly stood up, wincing at the fire in my abdomen.

A fire was burning, with choking purple smoke rising into the sky.

**Gah. That was exhausting, and not one of my best chapters. But, I'm alive! The surgery went well, and I can see…fairly well. This took a while, but I hope you enjoyed it! PLEASE review! **

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I stood silently, watching the smoke as it wafted through the branches and up to the sky. This was entirely my fault.

"Not it's not." Edward said over his shoulder as he held Jasper's arm to his shoulder as it reattached. Just the sound made me shudder.

I just stared at the smoke.

"They will be missed. Aro will come here and you all will die for me, which is ridiculous." I said softly.

"All will be explained to him. Jane launched the attack without a reason." Jasper said, then yelped as his arm fully attached.

"She said he wanted me to see me. You know he will get what he wants." I said, turning around.

"She was bluffing Kelsey, I mean really." Alice said. I prickled with annoyance.

"How can you be sure? Did you have a vision? Or are YOU bluffing?" I shot back, earning me a glare.

"I do not see Aro coming here or you going there in the near future." She said after a minute of silence. Relief filled me. But who knows? Maybe Alice is bluffing…

"Come on, let's go home." Esme ran me back to the house after a brief hunt. Carlisle, Edward, and Bella were already there, and Edward looked pissed. He always looks pissy though.

"Ahh, Kelsey. I got the most excellent idea, but I would need your consent." Carlisle said. Edward frowned. Carlisle must be blocking his mind.

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you need me for?" I asked.

"Well, I refrigerated some of your blood at the hospital while you were still evolving, and it has remained that way. Bella wants to become a vampire…"

"ABSOLUTLEY NOT!" Edward said, finally understanding.

"Edward." Bella said.

"Are you sure? I thought my transformation was worse than a regular one." I said.

"Yes, but the overall time is shorter. And you are much calmer than a regular newborn." Carlisle said earnestly.

"NO." Edward said, pacing the room faster than Bella could see. Control freak.

"What about her family?" I asked, a large twinge of sadness shooting through me.

Calm entered the room, telling me that the rest of the family was home.

"I can't live without Edward. Charlie and Jake-they will just have to move on." I was stunned with Bella's decision. My family was everything to me, even if they were total assholes.

"I'm not sure I can submit you to that with a good conscience." I said slowly. Edward looked triumphant.

"But, I'll help you." I continued. The look slid right off his face. "He has to change you sometime. This seems the easiest and safest way for you."

Edward looked ready to kill me.

"But one question. Why this rush all of a sudden?" I asked. Emmett and Jasper exchanged a loaded glance. "Because Edward has to change her before the Volturi kill her. She 'knows too much.'" Rosalie said smugly.

"NO! Are you all mad?!! Have you gone insane?!!!!" Edward bellowed. Silence fell.

"This is in your best interest, trust me." I said, flopping down on the couch. He snarled.

"Edward, I'm going to do this with, or without you. Pick one." Bella said. Ooh, she's got him whipped. I hope Alice and Rosalie are in the same position of power.

He glared at me, but his shoulders slumped in defeat. Logic…don't mess around with it.

"I guess were game then." Bella said cheerfully to Carlisle. Edward looked murderous. Honestly, I don't understand him. He has to change her no matter what! Wouldn't this be easier…? Oh well. Can't please everyone.

"Excellent." Carlisle said, looking thrilled. Then his face fell.

"Although, I will need some of your current blood." He said to me.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" I asked.

Emmett looked excited.

"NO Emmett. You would make a mess, and I wouldn't be able to collect any." Carlisle said. Emmett's face fell.

"I'll just have to get one of the wolves to bite you is all." Carlisle said casually.

BITCH PLEASE!! I screamed in my head.

"WHAT?!!" I said stupidly.

**Yay! Well, I'm feeling much better; despite the load of homework I did prior to writing this. So…the threat of the Volturi is lurking, Bella is working on getting turned, but will Kelsey go along with it? Only one way to find out…he he. Do I even have to say it?**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"I'll just have a wolf bite you." Carlisle repeated.

"And how are you going to explain that? Oh yeah, will you just bite my little friend here and let me collect some of her blood? Of course, I'm not going to tell you what it's FOR, but hey, wolves do their mortal enemies favors, right?" I said, getting angrier as I continued.

Edward threw me a look that said you fucking hypocrite.

"They actually do owe me a favor…and we can make up some excuse I'm sure." Carlisle said.

"Can we just try with Emmett first? It's surprisingly a better alternative than a dog biting me like a chew toy." I said.

Emmett laughed. Then he sobered up, looking confused. "Wait, what?"

"Sure, Emmett, Kelsey, outside please." Carlisle said, whipping upstairs as we dashed outside.

"Gentle." I said. He just grinned.

I stuck out my left arm, and looked away.

I shuddered with the effort of keeping the bubble in as Emmett's teeth sank into my radial artery. I gasped, and the bubble sprang outward, sending Emmett and Carlisle flying.

I brought my wrist up to my mouth and sucked at the blood as it healed. I took 5 deep breaths before letting the bubble drop.

I walked over to Carlisle and spat my blood into his test tube.

He shook his head and dumped it out.

"Contaminated." He said, then without warning, leaned down and bit my finger, and squeezed, holding a new test tube underneath. My reaction time was slower, and he got a few drops.

"Sorry!" I said, and dropped the bubble. The drops were lost in the grass. With a sigh, I bit myself, and drizzled some into the tube.

"Better than a wolf." I said. I bit myself a few more times to give Carlisle a good enough sample.

"Thanks Kelsey." Bella said.

"No problemo." I said, and flopped back onto the couch. Edward took Bella to their meadow, probably to try to talk her out of it.

He glared at me as they walked out.

"If you don't like what you hear, stay the hell out." I said under my breath. He snarled, and ran off with Bella.

"Kelsey, I'm afraid this sample won't work." Carlisle said from the other room.

I swore.

"Your venom contaminates the genetics' in it that would make Bella evolve. I'll have to get word to the pack in some way." He said.

"Won't their nasty dog spit contaminate it?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No, their saliva is actually a very good disinfectant." I looked at him.

"I don't want to know how you know that." I grumbled. He smiled and returned in a second, holding a tiny silver cell phone.

"You're going to call them?" I asked, disbelief coloring my tone. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Of course." He said smoothly, and punched in a number. I could hear it ring.

"Carlisle?" a surprised rough voice said at the other end.

"Yes Billy, it's me. I have a favor to ask of one of the pack…" he broke off as I heard a angry voice through the phone.

"This is very important. It will help on my study of how vampires are turned. Yes, I might be able to stop or reverse it…well, I need a wolf to bite the arm of my friend here…yes bite. Their teeth are the only things that can cut our skin." He listened for a moment.

"Excellent. See you tonight." He hung up, leaving me open mouthed. He smiled at my expression.

"Tonight at 7:30, were meeting at the treaty line." He said, as I heard the rustle of wind announcing Edward and Bella's return.

I said nothing as Edward came in stiffly, holding Bella's hand. She looked smug.

"I need to hunt so I don't rip off someone's head." I muttered, and ran past them and into the back yard, over the river, and into the forest.

Several deer and mountain lions later, I was feeling warm and full, my stomach slushy. I ran back to the house in record time, smoothed my hair, and walked inside.

It was 7:00. The family was all downstairs, in various stages of getting ready for the meeting. Edward was sulking by Bella, who was bright and excited. Carlisle was packing up supplies, and Esme was making supper for Bella. Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper were talking quietly.

Edward glared at me as I walked in. What a shocker. He growled low in his chest, and put an arm around Bella, who ignored it and happily thanked Esme for the steaming plate of food.

'Ahh, Kelsey. Perfect timing. I want to practice with you keeping those bubbles of yours in check. The wolves will get angry if you accidently, um, blast one into the trees." Emmett, just hearing the end of the sentence, burst into loud guffaws.

"Blast em into the trees, that's great." He chortled. He stopped seeing the look on my face.

I practiced with Carlisle for a bit, ducking as I let random objects wiz past me. Emmett found this hilarious as well. Little bastard.

When Bella finished eating, she climbed onto Edward's back, and we sped into the forest.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

I kept my distance from Edward as we ran. I knew he would never forgive me for doing this, even if it turned out well.

As we reached the borderline, all the wolves from the beach were there, and Sam was waiting in human form on his side. The russet brown wolf growled deeply when it saw me.

"Hello Carlisle." He said calmly. Everyone was tense, on their side of the line. I sighed, and rolled my eyes.

"The sooner we get this over with, the better." I said, stepping dead on the line and rolling up one of my sleeves. The wolves growled.

Carlisle put some foul smelling iodine on my arm, staining the cold white brown. Alice whimpered as it stained her white shirt I was wearing.

"Jacob, how about you?" Sam asked, with a hint of a smirk. The russet wolf stepped forward, and grinned a wolfish smile.

"Oh hell no." I said, and pulled my arm back. The wolf raised its eyebrow at me, a challenge.

Counting to ten, I took a deep unnecessary breath. "Carlisle, this better be worth it." I said, and he nodded, getting my double meaning. I thrust out my arm at the wolf, and glared at it. Jacob the wolf yipped a laugh as it sniffed my arm, and then winced.

Carlisle moved into position behind me, test tube in hand. His arm was steady under my own, holding the tube.

Then with a crunch, the idiotic wolf sunk its teeth into my arm. I hissed angrily, but held still. Blood welled up and dripped down my arm. I was sure my eyes had turned black from their honey color.

"Just a little more…" Carlisle said, eyeing the blood dribbling into the test tube. I flinched and snarled when Jacob bit down harder, and blood flowed freely, into the tube.

"That's good, thank you." Carlisle said. Jacob remained as he was. Sam looked at him worriedly, as the other wolves seemed to lean in for a closer look.

"Get. Off. Of. Me. NOW." I said, trying to keep my temper. A shadow of a bubble began to appear, pushing him back, dragging his teeth through my arm.

"Kelsey…" Carlisle said, but it was too late. Jacob took the opportunity to bite down as hard as he could; going clean through my arm, and with a screech, half of my arm fell off, into his jaws.

The bubble flew up, a deep black color instead of the usual pink. I was swelling with rage, as my arm was riddled with pain.

"Jacob! Give it back." Sam sounded like he was reprimanding his dog, which in fact, he was.

Jacob threw it in the air like a chew toy, and caught it, shaking his prize. With a fearsome scream of fury, I flew straight through my bubble, across the line, and snatched it from that mutt's jaws, and kicked him hard in the shoulder.

Then I danced back across the line. All the wolves snarled, and lined up against the line, with menacing growls.

I gasped as my arm flashed through with pain as it reattached, and healed itself. Jasper put a hand on my shoulder, and my coursing anger began to fade. He flinched, but dispersed it.

I took a huge deep breath and held it as Carlisle talked to the wolves with Emmett and Rosalie as Jasper Edward and Bella escorted me back to the house.

"Thank you Kelsey." Bella said softly, as Edward whisked her upstairs. I growled halfheartedly in reply, and punched the table. I left a tiny dent. I stared at it for a moment, and then popped it back into place.

"Let's go hunt." Jasper suggested, sensing my foul mood. With a sigh and a nod, I ran out the door with Jasper and into the forest again.

After draining a few deer with out effort, I ran back home with Jasper. My eyes were already gold when I entered the house. Carlisle greeted me with a huge smile, holding up the precious test tube.

"I'll be in my room." I said after staring at that evil little vial for a minute. Then I flew up the stairs and collapsed on my bed.

**Sorry a million times! I know this is way shorter than usual, but I'm kind of at a slow spot right now with this story. I just got to have a brainstorming session or whatever. So my apologizes for the short chapter!**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

As I watched the sun rise out the kitchen window, Carlisle sat up all his equipment so he could explain and inject Bella. I was surprised she wanted this so soon. But maybe that's just me…

When the whole family was assembled, Carlisle started to explain. "When the blood gets in her bloodstream, since she is not of any other race but human, it will start to evolve the blood it touches, a continuous, unstoppable chain reaction." Edward growled, and Bella smiled.

"I guess that means the rest of us will have to leave. Again." Rosalie shot me a glare, which I returned. "Well, not all of you. Emmett and Jasper I will need, and Edward will stay…so basically-"

"The women of the family are leaving." I said with resentment. All the women of the family turned accusing glares on Carlisle.

"Well, yes, but for your own protection-" Rosalie turned to leave. "Yeah, yeah…_whatever."_ Emmett frowned. He was torn on this issue.

Then, bless us, Carlisle's phone rang. Everyone waited, fuming, for him to finish the call. Carlisle frowned, concern clouding his face. "I'll be there right away." He hung up and ran upstairs and down, back with his coat and bag.

"What is it?" Esme asked, forgetting her distaste for the moment. Carlisle sighed. "The wolves have some kind of sickness; and not some normal disease either." He picked up his keys.

"I need to go out there. Billy Black sounded desperate." He said, walking towards the door. Then, he was gone. Fuming, I ran out the back door and hunted some more. Stupid testosterone fueled vampire. Wasn't that stuff supposed to die in the transformation anyway? And who cared about some sick little wolf clan?!

The rest of the day was quiet and tense as Bella waited impatiently, Edward got pissier by the hour, and everyone fidgeted. But Esme had it the worst. She wouldn't stop pacing.

Finally, Carlisle came home, and he actually looked his age. This was a signal to everyone to forget their grudges and hear the news. Carlisle sat down heavily in a chair and rubbed his face, after getting a long hug from Esme.

"The wolves have a sickness, it takes a day to fully begin, and then through a process of nine days, they turn gray and die in their sleep. The sleep lasts for three days. Their 'tribe lore' says so. Nothing helps. It's passed by direct body contact and sweat, saliva, anything like that." He cricked his neck.

"They're calling it the Gray Death." He said after a minute more of silence. Then the questions flowed.

"Has anyone died yet?" Bella asked. "Collin." Carlisle said, and she looked a little less worried. Suddenly I knew. She had a relationship with someone in the pack. Interesting.

"Who all has it?" Jasper asked. "The whole pack and Seth's mom. I've quarantined the whole area, and I'll be back there tomorrow. I'm sorry Bella; you're going to have to wait." She nodded in understanding.

'Are we at risk?" I asked. Carlisle frowned. "Not that I am aware of. We will know in a day. If anyone starts to feel weak and shaky, call me ASAP." Everyone quickly turned to their mates for comfort.

The next day, everyone was on edge, staying with their mates and hovering around the house. Tensions were high, and Alice was pissed. She couldn't see the future because it involved the wolves, making everyone all the more worried. Jasper looked ready to rip his eyes out.

Late in the day, I went up to my room, to get away from everyone downstairs, waiting for Carlisle to come home. I wasn't thirsty, and I was dead bored, offering Jasper a different emotion to handle. I knew Carlisle would be the safest, most sterile doctor. He was the only one in the family with the largest chance of catching this disease.

Edward agreed quietly downstairs, just as the phone rang.

Cue havoc.

Eventually, Emmett answered the phone, after throwing everyone out of his way. He put it on speaker. "I'll be staying later than I thought…it's just a mess here." A shout was heard on the other end for him. "I've got to go…I love you Esme. Everyone, stay home. It's crowded enough here as it is." Then he hung up. Silence squeezed the house as everyone processed.

"This is insanity." Esme whispered, and then ran outside to hunt. I couldn't blame her for wanting to get out. Edward took Bella home, and I could hear him giving her strict rules about _staying home_ until he came to get her.

Ahh, love. Gotta love it. I flopped on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Boredom was my only enemy in this hell hole of a time.

Or so I thought.

I went to get up, and it took effort. A LOT of effort. My arm started to tingle, and I flashed back to last night.

Jacob biting my arm, me kicking him.

Direct contact and saliva.

"Oh shit." I breathed. I waited impatiently until Edward came home, barricading my room off from anyone who wished to enter.

_Edward…we've got a problem…remember how Jacob bit me last night?_

He froze in the doorway.

_You better call Carlisle, and tell everyone to get out, NOW. I'm not going anywhere._

Edward remained where he was.

_EDWARD! GET EVERYONE OUT __**NOW!!!!**_

**The Gray Death. That's right, Kelsey has it. What will the Cullens do? They were all exposed to her; will anyone else catch the disease? Is there a cure? I guess you will just have to kindly keep reading and reviewing for me!**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

After a few minutes of mental yelling at Edward, he finally got the family to split, and he called Carlisle. Then he doused the house in bleach.

_Why are you sticking around?! Go check on Bella. I don't want to infect you._

"I'm staying here until Carlisle gets here. I've learned a thing or two from him in the past 100 years." He continued to scrub.

_Damn it Edward! You know as well as I that there is a chance that Bella could get the disease. She isn't as strong as us, you know that._

"But I was exposed to you too. I could make her condition worse." We both stopped to hear Carlisle's path up to the house.

"Edward. Good work making the house sterile. I need you to look for symptoms among the family. Look for flushed skin and bloodshot eyes. If they have symptoms, send them here." Edward checked himself then left.

"Carlisle. Don't come up here. You can't leave Esme alone." I said from my slouched position on the doorframe of my room.

"I've already been exposed. I may have become immune because I was able to fight off the disease in small amounts." Then he was there.

I let him run his tests. Then he had to help me into the bed. "Have you thought about a vaccine, a cure?" I asked as he packed up his stuff.

"I have. But I have yet to study the bacteria. I'm going to do that now, and send the un-sick wolves out to find a cure." He went downstairs and it was silent for a while. I watched my skin go from flushed to pale, to a light gray.

But I wasn't afraid to die. I wasn't leaving anything behind.

The sound of a vampire approaching the house, however, made me scared. Whose life was I taking? Whose spouse would remain depressed for eternity and probably kill themselves? What had I done to the Cullen family?

When I smelt her I knew.

Carlisle met her at the door. They silently exchanged a hug.

I had infected the meekest, yet most loving of the family.

Esme.

'What have we done to deserve this hell?" I whispered.

"I don't blame you Kelsey." Esme said as Carlisle helped her up the stairs. She was starting to get weak, just like I had. In an hour, she would be bedridden, like me.

"Why the hell not?! I just ruined your lives." I shuddered. All I did was screw things up.

"I'm just glad it was me and not someone else." She said as Carlisle got her comfortable in the other bed.

"I'm moving the wolves here. I can't risk the disease getting into the rest of the reservation." Carlisle pulled out his cell.

He had not looked at me once. But he had every right to hate me. Then I heard someone else approaching the house.

"No." I whispered. I smelt two this time.

One was human.

I was going to kill off the Cullen family. And there was nothing I could do about it. They help me change; show me a new way of life and this is how I repay them?

"Don't blame yourself Kelsey." Was the first thing Bella said.

"Damn it! Why is everyone so fucking forgiving?! I'm _killing_ off all of you!" She just shook her head.

Edward and Carlisle should just kill me. Edward's head snapped around at my thoughts.

He looked at me. I knew he was considering it. I just sentenced the love of his life to death.

"Go on." I said. Now Bella and Esme were paying attention. "What are you two talking about? Stop it." Esme said, seeing the looks we were giving each other.

"It wouldn't be fair." Edward said finally. "Damn it! What the hell is wrong with you?! KILL ME!" I screamed.

"Kelsey, what-" Bell and Esme started at the same time. Edward cut them off. "No. You can help us find a cure yet." Fuming, I turned to ignoring the lot of them. Did they have a death wish?!

Minutes later, the wolves started to arrive. I could hear the crackling of their biohazard suits that Carlisle had supplied. One by one, after the healthy had left, Edward and Carlisle brought the sick upstairs.

All through the night, Carlisle and Edward looked for a cure. All night long, my skin turned grayer. Bella's started to turn last. Then it _reversed._

"Bella's changing." I informed the ever studious Carlisle and Edward. They both looked up from their genetic books to look at the sleeping Bella. Her skin was barely gray.

"Unbelievable." Esme said, craning her head for a better look.

"Humanity is immunity." Edward breathed, rushing over vampire speed to check on her.

"There has got to be something else." Carlisle said, looking at his mate.

**Aha! The cure is out of reach for the vamps and the werewolves. But is it really? There might be one out there somewhere… or Esme and Kelsey won't survive. And are Edward and Carlisle at risk? You better review…**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Day 4

When Bella woke up two days later, she had already fought off the disease and was taken by Edward back to the healthy family after almost two hours of tests, looking for a cure.

Esme and I remained in bed. We didn't speak, only listened to the house around us. Carlisle had stayed with the wolves the rest of the night, and had not come back yet. I was starting to get worried. I could tell Esme was too.

After a minute of only the steady breathing of the wolves, I cracked. "Carlisle?" I called, and my throat rasped, which led to a coughing fit.

No response. "Carlisle dear?!" Esme called her voice stronger than mine. There was no answer, but a cough from a wolf upstairs.

"Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" I cried. Now Carlisle was sick too, stuck upstairs. I used all of my strength to push back my blankets, and ice cold air trickled in, making my already weak body shiver.

"Kelsey, let me go…I'm stronger…" Esme failed to lift her blankets. I sat up and cried out. It hurt to move. Gritting my teeth, I swung my legs around and placed my trembling feet on the floor.

I began to feel dizzy, much like my first meeting with Carlisle. After taking two quick breaths, I stood up, and my knees knocked together.

"Be…careful Kelsey." Esme said, craning her neck to see. Quickly, I took a few steps and fell against the doorframe, exhausted. Black spots appeared over my eyes, and Esme's voice deepened and slowed as I neared unconsciousness.

"Kelsey?" Esme asked, her voice stretching out…The whole room began to spin, and I faintly heard vampire footsteps approaching the house.

"Go…back…to bed…Kelsey." I heard Carlisle gasp upstairs. I growled unimpressively and hauled myself upright, digging my nails into the doorframe for support. But my limbs where limp from exhaustion, and I sagged back down.

Then two vampire arms caught me around the waist and lifted me like I was nothing. "Kelsey, what are you doing?!!" Edward asked, holding me up. I weakly pushed myself away.

"Physical…contact." I breathed, and leaned heavily on the doorframe. "Carlisle…" I doubled over in pain as I hacked out another coughing fit. Edward (wisely) backed away from my germs and almost flew upstairs.

Somehow, I made it back to bed, and collapsed, shivering. Edward came back instantly; putting Carlisle in bed with Esme, then came over to cover me back up. By that time, I was shivering so hard, my whole body was shaking.

"Thank you." He said, and turned up the heat in the house. I shook my head, and the movement was weak. He frowned, and touched my forehead, a latex glove saving him from the disease.

He _yelped,_ and pulled his hand away. I was running a fever of 162 degrees. I was grayer today, my hands where a shade darker. Edward still looked fine, and Esme was a shade darker too.

"Go…find a…cure. We…are just...lying…around…anyway." Esme wheezed. I nodded in agreement. Edward sighed, checked us one more time, and the wolves, then he retired to the shower (cleanliness), then Carlisle's study.

The silence pressed in on my now gray ears, and the clock downstairs chimed nine times before Edward returned. He looked happy, yet his eyes held only sadness. I raised my eyebrow, and winced.

"I found it. Compounds that mimic human genes when combined, which can help you all fight the disease." He frowned, and paced. Bad sign.

He glared at my thoughts, but there was no life in it. I scowled back. He continued, with a monotone.

"One is a rare plant called Sisyphus. **(Oh god, that's ironic.)** It is similar to Aloe Vera because I need the gel that the plant produces. Unfortunately, this plant is only found in the middle of the Sahara Desert, and is endangered."

"The second is a liquid called Ziriat. It is a special type of ice crystals found in glaciers in Iceland and the North Pole. It is very hard to collect and move however, because if it is not kept cold, it explodes. Cold, as in 10 degrees Celsius."

Silent anger filled me. They would never be able to save Carlisle and Esme in time. All because of me.

Edward hissed at me unsuccessfully. I ignored him and wheezed, "And how are you going to get these…" With sudden found strength, I whirled onto my side and hacked so hard I was coughing up blood. Edward tied back my hair and cleaned up all the blood, being careful not to get any on him.

I was gasping for breath when I finished, and my originally chapped lips where a bright red in comparison to my ashen face. Esme sounded like she was crying, and Carlisle craned his neck to see. Still doctoral.

"I'm going to call Emmett, see if he can get me some animal blood. All three of you need nourishment." He stripped his gloves, left the room, and I heard his rapid speech to Emmett.

After a minute he was back. "Emmett says get your vampire ass better." He said. I laughed weakly and ended in coughing. He wacked me on the back a few times, and the cough subsided.

"After, he's taking Rosalie to Africa, and Alice and Jasper are going to the North Pole. Bella's is staying at home." He said. I closed my eyes. The whole family split up because of me…

**The sick get sicker…but a cure is found…ish. They still have to get the raw ingredients and produce them into a drug…will they make it in time to save Kelsey? Keep reading…**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Ashes

After a hour or so, I heard Emmett downstairs, crinkling in his patchwork of biohazard suits now kept outside the door. Emmett had managed to fit into a custom suit made of 3 normal ones.

"You all better get better up there." He called. I remained silent while Edward, Carlisle, and Esme talked with Emmett. It was late, almost ten. I felt weird, and after a minute, I realized I was _tired._ Interesting.

Edward rapped it up with Emmett and came upstairs with the blood. He made us all drink some, even though it was cold. Even though it was from a grizzly, it only made me as strong as eating a mouse again.

"Jasper and Alice already left for Iceland. Emmett and Rosalie will leave in about ten minutes." He said after we had all drank. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words faded.

Surprised, I tried again. In the end, I had to whisper after hacking some more. "Do you think they will make it in time?" It took me five minutes to ask.

"Yes." He said, and went to go check on the wolves. I knew he was lying.

Before midnight, he carried down 2 dead bodies. I heard him call the reservation, then Bella.

As the fifth day dawned, he carried down two more. Jeez, they were dropping like flies. Edward pretty much bathed in bleach each time he had to carry the dead.

He came back up to check on us. Carlisle had started to turn gray, and Esme was starting to get worse. But I knew I was beyond help. I could barely feel my own freaking body anymore…

EMMETT POV

Out in the middle of the desert, it was hard not to admire my awesome shiny skin. Rose and I were dressed head to toe in concealing black.

The sun beat down, and the waves of sand extended for miles. I looked at the picture in my hand and scanned the horizon.

"This is impossible." I muttered. Rosalie glanced at me, then read something off of her printout.

'We are looking for a shaded area." She announced. I looked around. "There is no freaking shade out here honey. It's a desert." She scowled at me, then pointed.

I had to really, _really_ squint, but just beyond the horizon was a tree. "Well then. Let's go." I said, trying to sound manly. She just laughed and took off.

ALICE POV

I stepped carefully around a lava pool as Jasper and I climbed higher to the glaciers. It was a not so nice 20 degrees Celsius. Perfect for vampires thought. And Ziriat. Glaciers must be at _least_ ten degrees colder in the middle.

I had a vision of a spot a couple hundred feet away. I walked over and Jasper followed obediently, carrying the extreme blast chiller, cooler size. It took forever to steal it, but we needed it more than the scientists measuring core samples from the glacier.

Jasper held me by the legs, and I dug, quickly, until I was surrounded by ice. I stopped, made the tunnel wider, and smiled up at Jasper.

Then, I took out the picture, and read. I was looking for a grey ( ironic) cube of ice, usually surrounded by clearer ice. I took the cooler Jasper tossed down, and began to dig.

KELSEY POV

Day 5 was whittling away…after tomorrow, I would fall asleep, and never wake up. Edward had stopped trying to get me out of my depression and was focusing on keeping me alive.

There was really nothing he could do. Sure, he could add a blanket or two, maybe help me stop coughing. But he couldn't do much, and he knew it.

Esme had started the extreme hacking phase. Every couple of minutes, she would turn over and hack until she was spitting out blood. I had done the same. It was driving Carlisle crazy, not being able to do anything.

My voice was pretty much gone. Edward refused to let anyone look at themselves in a mirror, and for that, I was grateful. I probably looked like a skeleton. Despite the hourly blood delivered to us, we still weakened, our voices going.

More dead bodies came from downstairs. Carlisle begged Edward to rest, but he refused. He was in a biohazard suit now, taking at least 5 showers a day. We were going through bleach like mad.

When I glanced at my hand, it was a steely gray. When I touched it, it burned with fever. Esme was starting turn more and more gray, and Carlisle had a grayish hue.

I continued with my self-loathing for the rest of the day. Why did I have to bring this on the family?! After all they had done for me?!! If I could cry, I only would when my thoughts turned to this.

My own family had never loved me, I was just there, a responsibility. But at the Cullens, I was more. I was _valued._ And they had trusted me.

Then I went and stabbed them in the back.

**Day 5. Things aren't looking good…or are they? Jasper and Alice and Emmett and Rosalie have arrived at their destinations, and are searching for that cure! Will problems arise?**

**REVIEW. NOW.**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Day 5 

ALICE POV

After two more hours of fierce digging, I found a small block of Ziriat. I covered it back up and then swept it in, along with some ice shavings.

After a minute, I was suddenly up on land, the cooler landing a couple feet away. Jasper was on the other side of a huge fissure in the glacier.

"I guess I didn't keep it cold enough." I called. He frowned and jumped over. The cooler was undamaged.

"Let me try this time." He said, and jumped down into the fissure. I threw down the cooler and checked my watch.

EMMETT POV

Rosalie and I pulled up to the tree, spraying sand everywhere. I took out my printout and scanned the plants under the tree.

"Is that one there?" I asked, and pointed to a small, fragile sprout. Rosalie took off her sunglasses and bent for a closer look.

"Maybe. But it won't survive the swim back to America. There is no way we could smuggle it on a plane either. Or a boat." I cussed.

"Let's find another tree. Or maybe a pile of rocks." Rosalie said, and scanned the horizon to the west. I looked to the east. Squinting, I saw a small mound of rocks.

"Bingo. Random pile of rocks to the east." I announced.

Rosalie was already running past me. I checked my watch as we ran. We were running out of time.

KELSEY POV

As the clock chimed midnight, I felt like I had stayed up for the past two nights as a human without food. I had lost weight doing nothing, and Esme was looking bad.

Carlisle had started to hack, so poor Edward had is hands full. At this point, I was almost impatient for dawn. Sooner I can just end this pain the better.

ALICE POV

I paced impatiently as Jasper packed the cooler with ice similar to the ice surrounding a block of Ziriat he had found. I know he was trying to get it right, but we had to freaking _go._ We had a long way to run yet. Not to mention the swim.

Flushed with his success, Jasper closed the lid and surrounded the cooler with ice, and put in the duffel bag, and climbed out of the fissure. He had ice crystals in his hair.

"Got it, the little bugger." He said, and swung the bag over his shoulder.

ROSALIE POV

I watched Emmett crawl around under the rocks, looking for this stupid Sisyphus plant. The thing was almost extinct, and we were on a schedule.

With a shout of success, Emmett crawled out. In his hand were two larger sprouts of Sisyphus. I shielded them from the sun, and he packed a Ziploc full of dirt, then we added the plants.

I Duct taped the bag with back tape, leaving small shafts of light only. Then I put it in my backpack.

"Let's get out of here." I said, and we ran towards the coast, sand spraying up where we ran.

JASPER POV

Alice and I swam side by side through the icy Arctic Ocean, heading through the islands of Canada. The Ziriat was staying cold, even though the sun was beating down upon the water.

The clearer, the colder here in far Northern Canada. Even though we where soaking wet, we were swimming at about 65 miles and hour.

But it wasn't fast enough. Alice kept checking her watch and having visions. After a particular one, she swam faster than ever before.

I didn't ask, and she didn't tell.

KELSEY POV

I was dimly aware of Carlisle calling Edward, but I didn't care. There was nothing he could do anyway.

Then I felt his bizarrely cold hand compared to my skin on my forehead. I barely registered he was talking to me.

"Kelsey? Kelsey! Stay awake…" his voice deepened and slowed like Esme's had. I heard him run and close the curtains, but it didn't matter.

You can't stop time. But just for him, I tried. I hadn't realized eyes had closed until I tried to open them. I thought about energy, and alertness.

I wrenched open my eyes with a hoarse gasp, trying to fight the fatigue. The last thing I saw was Edward's panicked face, and my skin change to a deep gray.

"Fight it Kelsey!" I heard Carlisle rasp. Esme hacked in agreement.

My eyes closed, but fluttered as I tried to open them again.

"Kelsey!!??!" Edward yelled by my ear. Then, like a switch had been flicked, I sank into unconsciousness.

**Day 6 has arrived. Now, three more days of sleep. Then death unless the rest of the Cullens can make it in time…and you better freaking review, cause this chapter was the hardest to write in this whole story! JK, but seriously…**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Day 8

ALICE POV

All I focused on was swimming. The fastest Jasper and I could go in the water was only about 65 miles per hour. Once we hit land though, we where gone. I had a vision to check if getting on a plane would be faster, and cussed when it wasn't.

Kelsey was asleep, I knew that much. She had just fallen asleep about ten minutes ago, if my vision was correct…which they usually are.

EDWARD POV

Frustrated, I helped Carlisle puke up some more blood, and kept checking in with Kelsey. Even slapping her hadn't done anything. Now Esme and Carlisle were losing hope. Esme was supposed to fall asleep at dawn tomorrow, and Carlisle wasn't far behind.

All I could do was hope that the rest of the family would get here soon. But still, any time they got here wouldn't be soon enough.

EMMETT POV

Rosalie and I had reached the coast. All I could see was ocean. We had a lot of swimming to do…

"Hey Rose, if we were naked, we would swim faster." I said. She surprised me by laughing.

"Yeah…_no._ Let's go." She said, and after making sure the Sisyphus was secure, jumped into the water.

With a sigh, I followed. If I was tracking the time correctly, it was Kelsey's 8th day. By dawn tomorrow, she would be dead.

ESME POV

I wondered what the sleep was like as I watched Kelsey. Her face was like stone, but peaceful and resigned. I was unhappy that she had given up. Life had not been kind to her. Wincing, I turned to watch Carlisle hack up more blood. My poor baby…

Edward crisscrossed across the room, but stopped halfway to his desk. Suddenly, he paled. 'What?" I forced myself to whisper. He gulped. "I slapped Kelsey with my bare hand." Then my world was crashing down.

"No. You can't be sick…" I trailed off when Carlisle tried to speak and ended up getting blood all over the rug.

"Write down…the cure." He coughed. Edward walked painfully and slowly over to the desk and wrote down, in detail, the instructions. After a minute of rest, he began the long walk over to the last bed. I curled up next to Carlisle. If I was human, I would be crying.

Edward never made it. His knees gave out a few feet away, and he collapsed on the edge of the bed. His skin was a pale gray.

JASPER POV

I pulled Alice easily from the water and onto the ice. Land, _finally._ She froze in my grip, lost in a vision. Patiently, I settled down next to her on the ice.

But after 5 minutes, I was worried. We were wasting time, time we didn't have. She screamed and grabbed my arm. I panicked.

"What Alice, what?!" I said by her ear. She stood up, taking me with her. "Edward got sick…we have to go, _now._" She grabbed the cooler and took off. I sprinted after her.

If Edward was sick, which I'm sure he was, that complicated things by about a million. I pushed myself faster, and Alice gladly changed her pace to match mine.

ESME POV

"Just a bit farther Edward…" I called. Every five minutes, Edward hauled himself another painful foot across the bed.

"I…can't Esme, I'm sorry." He panted, and remained flopped down like a wet noodle, barley halfway on the bed.

I was distracted away from Edward when out of the corner of my eye, I saw my skin edge into a darker shade of gray. After looking at the clock, I estimated I had about 5 minutes left…

ROSALIE POV

Emmett and I had sure hauled ass. We where running inland, after reaching the east coast of America a few minutes ago. The Sisyphus seemed to be doing alright, in fact, it had grown a little, and I noticed the gel substance Edward had mentioned on the leaves.

"Come on, let's race!" Emmett said enthusiastically, and we kicked it into high gear. The world whizzed by faster as Emmett and I ran faster than we ever had before.

JASPER POV

"Welcome to the United States." I read out loud as we passed into Washington. Alice was smiling. "Were going to make it." She said, but ran faster. I was happy to comply.

With nobody well at home, I hoped Carlisle, Edward and Esme weren't suffering. Alice sighed, and her mood turned depressed. "Now who?" I guessed.

"Esme." She sighed.

ESME POV

I snuggled closer to Carlisle, and after some effort on his part, he put his arm around me. Sighing, I told him the news he didn't want to hear. "Less than a minute." I said hoarsely. He frowned.

"Love you Carlisle…" I said, and almost instantly, I was gone.

**At dawn of the tenth day, Kelsey will die without a cure. Esme the eleventh, and Carlisle the twelfth. Edward is actually in pretty good shape. He would die without the cure on the seventeenth day. And I can guarantee I am not going to kill everybody. What kind of writer would I be? Tell me in a review!!!! **

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Day 9

CARLISLE POV

I started in shock at Esme. She had fallen asleep as soon as the rays of the sun signaling the new dawn touched the curtains.

Edward and I where the only ones awake, but nobody moved in the room. Crypt like silence descended. Kelsey was an extremely dark shade of gray. Her breaths where not coming as easy now. The hitched once and a while, and it seemed to take more effort.

The silence didn't last long. Edward started the hacking phase, and I ached to help him. The white bed sheets had large blossoms of red everywhere by the time he had finished the first round.

There was blood everywhere, on the floor, on Edward's face, on my face, on Kelsey and Esme's lips, just everywhere. Some had even made it onto the window in a high velocity spatter as one of us turned like lighting to puke up more blood.

Over Edward's second round of hacking, I heard faint vampire footsteps, and my dead heart swelled with hope.

ALICE POV

Jasper and I where running faster than we ever had, almost faster than Edward when the stream and then part of the house came into view.

We both saw the blood on the window and practically flew over the ground and into the house. Lightning speed, we donned the biohazard suits and flew up the stairs.

If I could have thrown up, I would have. The room had blood everywhere, books piled high on the desk, the shades half open and the inhabitants weren't moving.

Jasper slowly placed the Ziriat on the desk. Carlisle and Esme where sharing a bed, Esme asleep, Carlisle looking like hell, Kelsey was a very dark colored gray and was gasping for air while she slept, and Edward was half on a bed surrounded by blood and shivering violently.

I ran over and wiped the blood off his face and put him under the covers. His eyes flickered open and took a minute to focus. "Alice-" he began to croak, but whirled over and hacked. All I could do was wait for it to be over. Jasper had started to clean up the blood.

"The…cure…on…desk-" Edward started to gag so I smacked him on the back. Jasper and I shared a quick glance and he strode over to the desk and picked up almost a packet's worth of paper on the desk full of Edward's script.

"How far along is Kelsey? 8 days?" I asked. Edward shook his head. "Nine?" I asked, and when he nodded, a chill went up my spine. It was around noon. Kelsey had 12 hours to live.

"Where are Rosalie and Emmett?" Jasper asked me quietly. I stopped to have a vision. "They are almost here, around Idaho." I said, opening my eyes.

"I'm going to go get some blood for Edward and Carlisle." Jasper said, and he vanished. I sighed in frustration. I wanted Rosalie and Emmett to get here, NOW.

I decided to start the cure anyway. We had to be ready. Following Edward's blood splattered instructions, I carefully got the Ziriat ready. All it needed was the gel from the Sisyphus plant and it would be ready. I even lined up some shot glasses for Edward, Carlisle, Esme and Kelsey.

Jasper returned with bags of animal blood, and made Edward and Carlisle drink.

It was 5:00. Where the hell are they?!

ROSALIE POV

"Come on, only a little farther…" I called to Emmett, and tried to lay on more speed. We where so close…

Emmett whooped as we passed over the Washington border.

I checked my watch. It was 6:00. "Oh shit, Emmett, we gotta go faster, NOW!" I yelled at him.

He checked his own watch, cussed, and together, we started going dangerously fast, even for a vampire.

ALICE POV

I was starting to go crazy. There was nothing we could do, we just sat there, Jasper and I, and watched our family members skin turn grayer with each passing hour. Kelsey was a scary dark, dark gray, almost black. Esme was edging into the darker tones, and Carlisle and Edward weren't far behind.

EMMETT POV

I couldn't even see anymore, we where going so fast. Then of course, we ran straight into a boulder.

After picking myself out of the 6 feet deep hole I had created,(which took a good 10 minutes) I pulled out Rosalie, a process which took at least another ten. Minutes we didn't have. She was fuming when I finally yanked her out

.

"Let's hope we didn't kill this Sisyphus thing. Let's go, go GO!" She screamed.

Saying nothing, we started up again. I checked my watch quickly. 9:00.

**I think my soul is truly evil for drawing this out. But I DON'T CARE! Te he te he. At 12:01 Kelsey will die. Oh snap. Will they make the cure in time? Will Kelsey live or die? Why am I asking all of these crappy rhetorical questions?!**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Life and Death

_Day 9 cont._

JASPER POV

The anger and frustration flowing out of Alice was killing me. I was worried enough as it was, plus I was sending happy and hopeful vibes to all the sick.

So when we finally heard Rose and Emmett running up to the house at 11:45, I was ready to thank them with a parade.

A few minutes later, Rose and Emmett stood in the doorway, biohazard suits on, carrying a black backpack where I assumed the Sisyphus was.

Rose wordlessly passed the plant to Alice, who stripped it mercilessly of its gel, and almost threw it into the test tube. Either she knew something we didn't, or Alice was really freaking out.

She added one other ingredient, consulted the directions, then added something else, then stirred fiercely. At 11:58 she poured the antidote into 4 shot glasses.

"Go." She ordered, giving everyone a shot glass. Like lightning she had hers over by Kelsey, and instantly, I felt her fear. What she was scared of, I had no idea.

But I didn't ask. I went over to Edward, propped him up, and helped him drink the whole thing. He was completely limp when I put him back down. I hope he was right about this…

Rose and Emmett had already given Carlisle and Esme their shots. At exactly 12:00, I helped Alice with her antidote. I had to hold open Kelsey's mouth in order for Alice to pour it in. She was completely lifeless; as still as stone. A minute away from death. That's how close she was. Was that too close?

_Day 10_

The clock read 12:01.

"Edward said the cure doesn't cure you instantly, only helps you fight the infection." Alice said after a minute of silence. "They aren't out of the woods yet." She said, and started to have vision after vision.

At 12:05 I noticed that everyone was breathing easier. Emmett made Edward and Carlisle drink more blood. Slowly, everyone calmed down. The sun was coming up, and everyone looked in pretty good shape.

"Emmett. I have a job for you." I said. Emmett looked up in interest. His boredom was driving me crazy. "Go scrub yourself raw in the shower, and then go tell Bella how Edward is doing. I'm sure she is crazy with worry." Emmett grinned and vanished.

BELLA POV

I sat on my bed and stared at the floor. Charlie was starting to get suspicious, but I couldn't stop worrying about everyone. Did they get the cure made in time? Was Edward ok?

"Bella." I whirled around to see Emmett sitting on my window sill, grinning. I ran over and hugged him. "I've missed you! How is everyone? Are they ok? Did you find the antidote/cure thing? How's Edward? Why didn't he come?!" I asked, trying not to hyperventilate.

Emmett sat me on my bed. "Chill Bella. Everyone is fine, or I wouldn't be here. Edward got sick, but he got the cure first, he will be just fine." He said, talking faster when I stopped breathing.

"Everyone? Esme?" I asked. He nodded. "Kelsey cut it a little close, and Carlisle got sick too, but everyone, and Esme will be fine. Relax Bella." He laughed.

I breathed theatrically and he laughed again. "When can I come visit?" I asked. His smile vanished. "Not for a while yet…they just got the antidote a few hours ago. It's late. Edward would want you to get some sleep." I rolled my eyes, but I was tired. I had been having trouble sleeping. I wonder why?

"Alright Emmett, I'm going to bed. Tell Edward I love him." I said. He gagged theatrically and a smacked him.

"Fine. See ya Bella." Emmett vanished, and I collapsed on my bed. They were safe.

ALICE POV

After Emmett returned, all we did was look after the sick. Edward was improving faster than anyone else, probably because he had the infection for the least amount of time. However, Kelsey was starting to worry me. She hadn't started to get better, but she hadn't gotten worse.

She was on the brink of death, stuck there. I wondered if we where too late. My visions were never conclusive, and they scared me a little. When I consulted Kelsey's future, it was nothing but black. Does that mean she was going to die? Or was she too close to tell?

Jasper made me spill before he went crazy, so now I had everyone worried. Even into the late evening when Edward was sitting up and Carlisle was awake. This means they soon figured it out too.

So when the eleventh day dawned, and Kelsey still wasn't improving, even after Esme woke up, everyone was ready to go over there and slap her awake. But Edward had already tried that. Whole lot of good that did.

_Day 11_

KELSEY POV

I was living in a world of darkness. I didn't even know for sure that I was alive. Time had no meaning in this dimension of death. I could feel the will to fight, but I couldn't grab on to it.

I knew that I could die at any second. And I was bringing the whole family down too. How close was Esme? Was Edward still healthy?

But then my mind would un-focus and I floated through the dark cold blackness once again. The only difference I noticed was that it was easier to breathe.

I could also feel that longing to relax and just let it go. Sink further into the void, and never return. It was very comfortable here, and I wanted to. Badly. But my body's natural instinct kept me alive. Body against mind. Life against death.

Nothing penetrated the darkness that left my mind spinning. I felt like it was a certain time, a certain place. One minute I would be back at home, human, fat and alone. Then I would fast forward to hanging off the doorframe, trying to get to Carlisle.

But of course, none of that could be happening. I didn't have a body connected to my mind. I was a single very confused thought in a deep vortex of nothing.

ALICE POV

"Should we double the dosage?" I asked. "There is some Ziriat left, and the Sisyphus is still growing…"

"She doesn't want to live." Edward croaked. "Why not?!" I cried, whirling around to stand at the foot of Edward's bed. He shrugged with difficulty.

"Her mind is very…torn apart. She's not sure what's happening, or what she wants." He croaked.

I turned to Jasper. "Double the dosage. Kelsey is going to live, if she wants to or not." He nodded silently and divided the remaining Ziriat in half, added the Sisyphus and with my help, gave it to Kelsey.

"Come on…" I muttered angrily as she didn't change at all. What was wrong now?

**I feel like a bitch. I decided to speed things up as the antidote started to work, but then come on, you know me! I had to draw it out some more. So…will Kelsey decide to live? So yes, we still do not know the fate of dear Kelsey. And that was kind of mean for me to do…but hey, I'm the author. ****I**** wear the pants! LOLZ**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Bring Me to Life

KELSEY POV

That's it. I had decided to let go. And right when I was about to, something stopped me. _Again._ Frustration flew threw me, and a little bit of anger. Fine. Whoever was deciding to play God with my unconscious and probably gray body was going to get hell from me.

I decided to fight, right then and there. Screw this freaking blackness. Give the bird to this sickness. Kelsey the angry vampire was going to kick ass.

But of course, things are never simple. Getting better took a lot of energy. I was tired. But hey, nothing seems real right now anyway, so who says I'm tired.

Oh yeah, that one shred of reality in my screwed up life. That would do it.

ALICE POV

My insanity will be caused by Kelsey. You just watch. Edward told us that the second dosage we gave her pissed her off so much; she was going to fight the disease now.

Can this girl not make up her mind? And speaking of Edward, he was much better. _Much_ better. In fact, he was out of bed, showered, dressed, and was talking to Bella on the phone, sitting on the couch.

Carlisle wasn't too far behind. He was the one that told Edward he couldn't go hunting until tomorrow. Once a doctor, always a doctor. I sighed and made my way from Esme to Kelsey.

Then I was tackling Jasper with a hug. We had given Kelsey the second dosage 3 hours ago, and already she wasn't as gray. She had gone from the crazy black color to a dark gray.

"I knew she would do it!!" I squeed. Then, what really made my day was that I didn't need Jaspers help giving her blood anymore. Of course, there was a high possibility of her waking up extremely pissed, but hey. She needed it.

KELSEY POV

I rested on the side of the deep black void and looked down. The blackness spun downward only a little ways, and at the bottom was a cold dark pit. Death.

It was still very, VERY close. It mocked my progress with every painful inch I gained. But death can suck it. I have to live. My motivation? My _real_ family. I had to check in with them eventually. See if my mother had changed at all. Or my father for that matter.

And of course there were the Cullens. I owed them MEGA apologies. Like, buying them a country wouldn't be good enough.

Well. Enough jabbering. I had a long way to go. Gritting my teeth, I stood, stretched a little, and kept climbing. Every inch gained took what seemed like forever. Time had no place here, but I felt disconnected. Like I wasn't even climbing at all.

Hmmm. Maybe I was going backward. That would explain why it was so damn _hard._ Maybe I was actually forcing myself to die. I froze and looked down from where I was on the wall.

Nope. Death was still at the bottom.

_Day 12_

ALICE POV

I scrubbed harder at my pale skin and frowned at it. Emmett and Rosalie told us to take a break, so Jasper and I did. He went, showered for 5 minutes, dressed and was now relaxing.

But I was cooped up in my thoughts, and was still in the shower. Why wouldn't Kelsey want to live? I know that things really haven't gone her way, but something must be wrong if she wanted to _die._ Right?

Trying not to be too freaky, I had a vision. Then I relaxed, and smiled. She was going to live. I don't care how miserable and angry she was going to be. Esme is a very good counselor. She can work it out.

But then I had another thought. What would have happened if I didn't give Kelsey the second dose, and respected her wish? I angrily turned off the water. Whenever I thought more about the what if's of the future, it got me all mixed up.

So, hoping that I did the right thing, I stepped out, toweled off, got dressed, and lay down next to Jasper.

KELSEY POV

Panting, I flopped down again. This annoyingly confusing dimension of hell was driving me mad. Progress was almost impossible to tell.

The only sure thing I could rely on was the amount of the disease in side of me. This better be the sort of disease you only get once. It's way to exhausting and mentally demanding.

If I really focused, I could feel the antidote inside of me. It was small, but it had a huge influence on the disease. I grabbed hold of it and heaved.

Bring Me to Life.

**Confused? Confusing? Yep. I was even experiencing confusion writing it. And so were Kelsey and Alice. But mostly Kelsey. This was mostly a chapter that gave you something to think about. Thinking about death doesn't have to be depressing. It just usually is most of the time. ANYWAY…review like your life depends on it. Or Kelsey's'. OOO! Isn't that a threat! .**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Gives You Hell

KELSEY POV

In this tiny but annoyingly long dimension of hell, I can sleep, climb and go crazy. That's about it. What a great vacation spot. How do I know this? When I woke up this 'morning', the whole dimension was less black.

In fact, it was a dark grey. That made me start laughing until I thought I was a crazy, locked up in a mental institution somewhere. I laughed because it reminded me of a video game.

Kelsey, you just leveled up to the level of dark grey! Congratulations!

The only good thing about all of this? It gave me motivation to climb more today. And that's what I am currently doing. So in this small dark spot of my brain, I was climbing the steep cliffs of crazy hellness.

But then, of course, another problem. I stretched as far as I could on my tippy-toes, trying to reach a rock to haul myself up. My fingertips were inches away.

I jumped, and my fingertips caught for a moment, then slid off. Frustrated, I jumped again. I caught hold of the rocky ledge and began to haul with my arms. They shook with my weight.

Then, I fell. I lost my grip and fell, rolled, then fell off of the ledge I had been previously standing on. Gasping, I grabbed the ledge with one hand before I fell, literally, to my death.

I picked up my feet and searched for support for them. I started to freak out as my fingers started to slip. Growling unintelligible cuss words, I snatched with my other hand until I had two hands firmly on the ledge.

Wincing, I heaved with all my strength, and rolled to safety. I lay flat on my back, panting and shivering. Cautiously, I peeked over the edge. The dark pool at the bottom seemed more ominous now.

ROSALIE POV

I carefully watched Edward and Emmett walk calmly into the woods to hunt. Edward was improving rapidly; the only thing slowing him down was that exhaustion that all the recovering felt in the afternoon.

But considering it was early in the morning, I figured that he would be fine. Emmett going along was overkill. He was dying to see Bella, if that isn't motive to get well again, I don't know what is.

Carlisle was resting on the couch a few feet away, talking quietly with Esme. After a minute of watching them, I turned back to my slightly boring duty. My job was to watch over the sleeping Kelsey.

And so far, she was slowly turning back to normal. After Alice shared with the family that she was mental unsure of herself, I figured that it wasn't just the disease that was holding her back.

So when she rapidly began turning black, I flipped out. "Carlisle!!" I said, my voice starting quiet, then lurching to shouting as the process got faster.

He got over to me faster than he should have. Alice and Jasper freaked out along with me, thinking that Carlisle was dying or something, and came bursting in.

I sighed in relief and anger as the darkness stopped abruptly and after a moment, turned back to a grey. It had been lighter a minute ago, but I was content. As long as she wasn't black.

"What do you think happened?" Alice asked shakily. Jasper put an arm around her. Carlisle sighed and sat down heavily in the chair I pulled up for him. He rubbed his face and observed Kelsey.

"I honestly can't say, perhaps she slipped a little as she worked to get better. She's stable now, and that's all that matters."

KELSEY POV

I flopped back, staring upwards. If I squinted, I could see the tiny hole I would have to squeeze through to get to the land of the white. Maybe that was there to keep me from falling.

Laughing at myself (and at the increasing probability that I was crazy), I rolled onto my knees and slowly stood up. I wasn't tired anymore. Slowly, I walked over to the cliff face, and just out of reach, the ledge.

Then I backed up, ran, and jumped. With a whoosh, all of the air in my lungs flew out when I landed, my forearms over the ledge, my feet dangling.

Gritting my teeth, I heaved with my arms and then I was on top of the ledge. Resisting the urge to do a victory dance, I stood up and brushed off.

My mood changed so suddenly, it was comical. In front of me was a huge cliff face, with a huge crack running right down the middle, separating two different paths. On closer examination, I saw that they went to the same place. The crack, I noticed, went somewhere dark, cold…a lot like death.

"God damn it!" I yelled, and punched one of the paths. Well, it really wasn't a path, considering it went only up. But whatever. Why was this so damn complicated?

I took deep breaths and ignored the pricking sensation in my eyes. Glad I could no longer cry, I latched onto the antidote running in me. It gave me a little strength, but that was it. I knew it couldn't tell me what I needed to know.

I didn't realize I had closed my eyes until I had to open them to stare down the crack, and the two paths.

The crack would be easy to walk into. No climbing, nothing. Just a nice stroll…but to death, that I was certain. I studied the 'path' on the left. The beginning was difficult, but it got easier higher up.

The right 'path' was easy at the bottom, but I could not see higher up. Hmmmm. Something was telling me to go with the left, but it seemed too easy. Planned. But to the right, there was a not so subtle hint of danger, and tough times.

In the end, I decided to go to the right. I've always been one for adventure. Even though I was starting to get tired, I started to climb into the night.

_Day 13_

ROSALIE POV

As the new dawn shot over the horizon, Jasper came over to let me off the hook. I took one last look at Kelsey as I stood up, and moved away from the chair at the side of the bed.

I smiled when I saw that the process of her turning a normal vampire color had increased. Then I turned and left with Emmett.

**So. My own story is starting to freak me out. It's a little trippy, a little too real. But I'm a crazy author, what could I possibly know? Anyway, review, before I get bored and make this whole sickness thing…a dream that Kelsey had while taking acid. I don't know. :\**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: In the Belly of the Beast

KELSEY POV

I finally had taken a break, halfway up the right cliff, right below that mist. I had stopped for two reasons. One, I was dead on my feet. Two, I didn't know what the mist was.

And it would really suck if I died after I had come this far. What if the mist was a killer? Like Zyklon B or something?

So I was stuck. And afraid. I know the Cullen's were ready to dump my body somewhere or something, so the increasing pressure to get better was clouding my judgement. I felt the urge to just go, and not look back.

So after a quick rest, I decided to go with my instincts. So just like in the movies, I stood up, dusted off, and climbed into the mist.

EDWARD POV

After checking in with the family and Carlisle, and learning of Kelsey's latest stunt, I was dying to see Bella. Carlisle said tomorrow, and I didn't want to infect Bella, but I wanted to see her right away.

So I was driving myself and Jasper crazy. "Would you relax please? Before his head pops off?" Alice asked from upstairs. I sighed a apology to Jasper and paced in front of the phone.

I knew that Bella was at school, and I couldn't go there and risk infecting all of those humans, even if they were to get better.

KELSEY POV

Halfway through the mist, it started. I began to doubt myself. I could fall easily, too easily. I could have been going the wrong way all this time.

Insecurities pounded my brain, from being fat to falling off this cliff. Self Esteem. Confidence. Courage. Doubt.

Freaking out, I held my breath and pushed onward. Of course, it only got worse as you went along. My depression that started long ago when I was human attacked me with new force.

I stopped, holding on only to rocks, and placed my forehead against the cliff. My eyes pricked with tears that would never fall, and I fought with myself.

The urge to let go and fall to my death was strong. I curled my fingers tighter on the rocks, and tried to think logically. But I could only picture what would happen if I did let go.

In one rush of depression, I would give up. Slowly, but simultaneously, I would let go, and gently, softly, I would fall down into that black dark pit and be at peace.

I smashed my head against the cliff, waking myself up, and to my horror, had to grab new rocks before I almost let go. I looked up to the top. The whiteness was so close. I hauled myself up a foot, then another.

I _would_ do this.

EDWARD POV

As dawn of the 14th day Kelsey had been sick came closer, I fidgeted, earning glares from my family. At first they had been sympathetic, but now they were just tense along with me.

The only things that gave me comfort was the fact that Esme had gotten up today, showered, dressed, and was sitting on the couch, curled up with Carlisle, and that Carlisle had found that the family had become immune to the disease.

Bella had one less thing going against her. I sighed and Jasper shot me an angry glare. I knew that I was killing him, but I couldn't help it. Kelsey and her insecurities weren't helping.

"You know what Edward? Just go, go!" Carlisle said, looking at the clock. Grinning, I stood up and almost ran to the door. It opened before I got there.

"Pleasure to see you again." Said Aro, stepping smoothly inside, flanked by Caius and Marcus.

KELSEY POV

I was starting to panic. The antidote was running out, when I needed it most. Frantic, I latched onto the remaining antidote and quickly scaled out of the mist and collapsed on the ledge at the top.

Even though I had no need to breathe, I took in great lung fulls' of the clean air. That mist was a killer and I was angry with myself for taking that route.

But deep down I knew that if I had gone the other way, I would have the same depression as when I got this disease. The Gray Death had helped me in ways to twisted to make sense, but it helped.

After a minute of sappy thinking, I bolted upright, and hit my head on the rock above me. To happy to cuss, I stooped and made my way over to the hole.

EDWARD POV

I was too shocked to even think straight. Killing Jane and Felix and the other vampire I hadn't recognized seemed so long ago. I thought it would be a while yet before Aro would come asking questions.

Apparently, I was wrong.

Alice looked as shocked as I was. The fact that she hadn't had a vision made me very uneasy. Aro must have been planning this for a long, _long_ time.

He smiled at everyone before frowning and looking up at the ceiling. My heart froze. _Kelsey._ "Who is upstairs?" he asked politely enough.

"A new member of my coven. I must warn you Aro, don't do this now. We caught a sickness from the wolf pack that had been nearby, you remember them. Kelsey, the girl upstairs is still sick. I advise you not to go up there, for your own safety." He looked at him for a minute, then laughed.

"You spin fantastic tales Carlisle!" He chortled, then swept upstairs. We had no choice but to follow. "Carlisle, you are so slow!" Aro joked. Carlisle was panting by the time he made it up the stairs.

I walked over and supported him. "Aro, I am still recovering. I am telling you, don't go in there." Aro snorted, shaking his head, and opened the door and walked inside Kelsey's room.

I flinched when he put a hand over hers. Direct contact. He frowned as he read her mind. His face was disturbed when he opened his eyes.

KELSEY POV

I stood up in the hole and gladly jumped, grabbed the rim, and pulled myself over. I stood up in the white, and waited. Something had to happen, right?

Then, nothing. Slowly, I felt my body come back to my brain. I felt something cool on my hand. Esme maybe? She was cured, and she is the type to stay with me.

When I could feel my lungs, I immediately started to cough. But it wasn't normal coughs, just big puffs of air coming out of my lips as I realized I was coughing for no reason. Call it a systems check I guess.

Then I felt the soreness, the aches and pains. I almost smothered my gasp of pain, but not quite.

My eyes fluttered open as I heard the bells on the clock downstairs chime out the dawn of the 14th day.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Eyes on Fire

KELSEY POV

I heard nothing, but felt the tension in the room. Wondering who was touching me, I slowly forced my head to the side.

A vampire I didn't know was sitting next to me; hand on mine, a disturbed and almost scared look on his face. I was happy to see that my skin was no longer gray, but the white alabaster I had come to miss.

I opened my mouth to ask this strange vampire a question, but no sound came out. I started to freak out. I had to be better-

I forced a hand to my throat and tried to sit up. I had to be ok; I had to be able to talk…

"Don't Kelsey. Save your strength." Carlisle's voice calmed me slightly. I ignored his order and sat up fully, wincing in pain. I took in the whole family, and then my eyes noticed the two cloaked vampires at the door.

Horrible memories of the three vampires came back fast. I turned my head as fast as I could to look at the strange one next to me, and I finally recognized him. Fear wormed its way as I realized that I had gotten Aro, freaking king of the vampires sick. He was touching me.

"Your mind is captivating." He said silkily, meeting my gaze. I went to pull my hand away, but he held on. I shot a panicked glance at the Cullens. 'Let go, you'll get sick!" I said, but no sound came out.

I went into full panic mode right then and there. "What is your name?" Aro asked, not understanding my little freak out.

Frantically, I pointed to him holding my hand, and shook my head fiercely, saying no over and over, but no sound came out. He frowned and looked at his hand. I tried to pull my hand away again and his guards at the door growled.

"What is she doing?" he asked, turning to look at the Cullens. They looked grim. I barely heard Carlisle explaining from the beginning and when he finally got to the part when I awoke and couldn't talk, he came over as Aro let go of me like lighting.

"Edward, mix up the last of the antidote. We can't have Aro getting sick." Carlisle said calmly, but his eyes told a different story as he worriedly tugged my hand away from my throat to take a look.

I closed my eyes and tried to take deep breaths as Carlisle gently probed at my throat. I felt no pain, but I still couldn't talk.

I opened my mouth obediently and let him take a look down my throat. I assumed that once you had the disease, you couldn't get it again, because Carlisle seemed not at all afraid to touch me.

"You can't get it again." Edward answered my question as he gave Aro the vial which he downed.

_Edward, I can't freaking talk! What's going on?_ I asked mentally. He frowned and explained why Aro was here. "Why can't you talk?" he asked. I resisted the urge to smack my forehead.

_Because I can't. Whenever I say something, nothing comes out._ He frowned and told Carlisle who frowned deeper.

"I hate to break this up, but I will seek your counsel another time." Aro said, and hurried out. His guards followed. I sighed in relief as he disappeared, and I heard him leave the house and run away until I couldn't hear him anymore.

"Kelsey, I will run some tests tomorrow, I promise. But for now, you need to rest, as do I." He said, sitting back, looking exhausted. I nodded. I opened my mouth to ask what kind of tests, but when nothing came out, I sighed.

"I will get you a book on sign language. We can't count on Edward being here all the time, at least until I can get your voice back."

_Thank him for me, will you? And tell him to get some rest. I can ask him tomorrow._ Edward relayed my message, and the family filed out, avoiding my gaze.

I heard Edward leave to go to Bella, and relaxed when I was free to think with out being overheard.

I couldn't help but wonder if it was all worth it to live. I also wondered how the _hell_ I had lost my voice.

And I could only hope that it would return.

**So yeah, it was short, sorry about that. I apologize for the late update, I got my foot bitten by a dog. No, I'm serious. And my computer lies at the top of a set of stairs. I got a little ahead of myself in this chappie. I gotta go think. But I hope you enjoyed it…there is more mischief to come…^^**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Down with the Sickness

**(Oh, by the way, most of the titles of some of the more recent chapters are song titles if you're bored/curious. I can guarantee that all of the next chapters will be song titles.)**

KELSEY POV

I obediently drank the blood Emmett brought me and looked through the sign language book that I had received a few hours ago. Everyone in the family had one, and I felt so happy that they would do something like learn a language for me.

I was just angry that I couldn't apologize to them yet. Yes, I had learned the language, but I wanted to _talk._ I didn't know _why_ I was the only one who couldn't talk; everyone else was fine.

Frustrated, I closed the book and tossed it to the foot of the bed. Emmett after a moment of thought, signed, "What's wrong?" I sighed and shook my head. He groaned. "Don't do that, or I'll get Carlisle." I glared at him.

"Fine. You want to know what's wrong? I'll gladly tell you. I can't freaking talk damn it!" I signed fiercely. He blinked for a second as his mind caught up with what I had signed.

"That can't be it though." He said. I ran my hand through my hair tiredly. "I don't know what that means." Emmett said. I laughed, but it made no noise. I laughed so long, he went to get Carlisle, thinking I was choking or something.

"Emmett, she's laughing." Carlisle sighed tiredly, but he looked happy to see me showing another emotion other than depression. I started into another round of laughter seeing the bewildered look on Emmett's face.

"Calm down, you'll tire yourself out." Carlisle said, and after a minute of suppressed chuckles, I calmed down. Um, Carlisle…I wanted to apologize fully, but I obviously can't talk…so I am dreadfully sorry. I can't express it enough." I signed.

He smiled. "You're very welcome!" Alice said from the doorway. I jumped. The whole family was there, and I hadn't even noticed.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

The days blurred together as I got better. I felt a lot freer when I could go hunting alone; it gave me time to think. My voice still hadn't returned, and I was more worried and sad by the day.

I was starting to accept the fact that I would never talk again. As much as it made me angry, it wore me down at the same time. I could still remember how my voice had sounded.

Secretly, while I was hunting, I would try to talk. I would shout and scream, trying to get my vocal cords to project my sound, but nothing ever happened. Even though I had beaten the sickness, it was still beating me.

My appearance had changed too. My face was narrower, gaunter. It seemed my eyes, even though they were golden, were always dark. Nothing the Cullens would say to me made a difference. I had apologized over and over again.

But finally, after months of trying, if I really, _really, _tried, and remained extremely focused, I could whisper. I had been thinking about my future, and I decided that I needed a change.

I surprised them all as we sat around watching the TV. _"This is boring…pass the remote." _I whispered hoarsely and quietly to Emmett, who had been holding it. He dropped the remote.

"What did you just say? Wait, did you just say something?" He asked, getting more excited by the second. I nodded. He whooped and crushed me in a hug. My back was shaking with laughter when he set me down again.

"When did that happen?" Carlisle asked, already probing lightly around my neck. I shrugged. "It's not much, but if I work really hard at it, I can whisper like that." I signed. Edward read my mind and looked at me, surprised.

_You can tell them._ I assured him. He frowned, and then relayed what I wished. Pandemonium broke out.

"You _what?!?!" _Alice shrieked. Esme tried to say something, but Emmett's boom drowned her out. I knew the feeling. "There is no way you can do that!" He yelled.

I signed furiously but no one was listening. I whispered, but no one heard that either. Finally, I stood on the couch and whistled. That didn't work either. No vocals, remember?

Frustrated, I picked up the couch. That got their attention. I set it back down, and sat on it and signed quickly.

"Now, I know you may not like it, but I need a change. I already have the perfect alias. Ms. Brooks. I moved to Gresham to teach the deaf kids that are poorly under taught, I remember them. Nobody will suspect, I can pass as 25." I signed.

"I still think it's too dangerous. I know you want to go home, but what will you do if your parents aren't there? Think about it." Rosalie said.

"I have thought about it. For a long, long time. Longer than you can even comprehend. So, I'm sorry, but I am going to leave, whether you like it or not. I'm sorry." I signed.

**Apologizes for the late update, these past few days I have been visting family in Nebraska...far away from a computer. I kind of dropped the ball here. If you didn't get it, Kelsey wants to go back to her hometown, Gresham (a real place I might add), and spy on her parents, to see them again. She would pose as Ms. Brooks, the 'deaf' teacher who is '25.' What do you think? Review, I'm not an Edward. ^^**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: All I Need

KELSEY POV

Dead silence greeted my words. Then Carlisle sighed. "You'll need some help getting a drivers license and such." I jumped up, hugged him, and then signed thank you about a million times.

"I'll come back; it's not the end of the world." I signed to Esme, who looked very unhappy. She looked up and smiled sadly. I gave her a hug, but I know she wouldn't be truly happy until I came back.

"Gresham isn't that far away…when I get a place you can come and visit." I signed to everyone. Esme's face lit up like Christmas. "Can I decorate your place?" I nodded.

"_Who else could I trust?"_ I whispered. She gave me a hug and the family was flying into preparations for me. Carlisle motioned me over, and I followed him to a more private corner of the living room.

"Kelsey, you didn't just evolve randomly, something had to have set it off. I'll do it if you won't, but I would like you to snoop around where you used to go with your new senses and try to find what started all of this. We can't have other humans evolving. Only luck and fate brought you to us." I nodded.

"I'll try my best." I signed, and he smiled. Then he pulled out a cell phone and started ordering my documents. I was to be Kelsey Brooks, 25, straight out of UCLA. A second later, Alice was tugging me off to go shopping with Esme and her to look for everything from makeup to a new car.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Two days later, I was up, dressed by Alice and getting goodbyes from the family. My brand spanking new Jetta was loaded with my few belongings that Alice and Esme hadn't stolen away to my new apartment and set up for me.

Carlisle handed me a cell phone. "Call us when you get settled." He said. I smiled at everyone, got a last minute hug from Emmett and Bella, and then I was driving away.

When I entered Gresham 15 minutes later, chills went up my spine. It looked the same as it always did. Except for the neon pink posters with my human face on it, saying, "Have you seen this girl?"

"I haven't seen her for a long time." I whispered to myself, and quickly made my way to my new apartment. Parking was provided, which was nice. I slowly got out of my car and stared at the building.

_Here we go…_ I thought to myself and closed the door, grabbed the few things I had from the backseat and walked into the building. I checked my new mailbox and found money from the Cullen's.

I shook my head and took the elevator up to my apartment. As I opened the door, I was stunned. The place was absolutely gorgeous. The carpet was that blinding white like at the Cullen house, and all of the rooms reminded me of home. Even my room, which was a exact replica at what I had at the Cullen's.

A note on the coffee table read **Your home away from home. Love, Esme and Alice.** Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes, and I set the note back down, and examined the book shelves, the pictures on the end tables, the kitchen, and the whole house.

Esme once again blew away all my expectations. There was even food in the refrigerator. Half was fake, but that's not the point. The fact that Esme put fake food in my refrigerator was enough for me.

As night fell on the town, I decided to do what Carlisle asked, snoop around my old haunts. Silently, I jumped out the window and ran quickly down the streets of Gresham to my old house.

My heart swelled with emotion as I saw my parents cars in the driveway. Silently, I slunk around the house to the lattice that hung from my bedroom window and climbed up, and peeked over the sill.

My room had been ripped apart. The dresser was empty, the sheets were gone, as were the curtains, and I saw a Crime Scene seal on the door. That meant my case was still open. Interesting.

Wondering what leads they were pursuing, I climbed like a spider down the house and slunk in through the back door, which was always unlocked. A light source out of the corner of my eye sent me scurrying for cover.

But it was a glow, not like a light bulb. Interested, I listened for signs of life. I grinned as I heard my dad snoring. Cautiously, I crawled out of my hiding place and darted silently around the corner.

My throat choked up instantly. The glowing was candles lit around a picture of me, along with flowers and small gifts from the people of Gresham. I picked up one of the notes addressed to me. Astonishment rippled through me as I realized it was from one of those sluts.

I put it back down and looked at the gifts and mementos, my eyes pricking. At least they didn't think I was dead yet. I ran home faster than I should have, and turned on my TV. The closing news report was about me.

"The body found off of I-53 is not Kelsey Jenkins, but of Kelly Nolan, who disappeared three years ago. The police are releasing no information about either of the two girls. If you have any information, please call Crime Stoppers, at 555-" I turned off the TV abruptly, and went to take a shower.

I had to apply for a job tomorrow after all.

**Ok, recap: Kelsey has moved to Gresham to stay close and spy on her parents. She is also supposed to be looking for something that could have set off the evolution process for her. Yes, her last name was Jenkins. Kelsey is applying for a job to help teach the deaf children at her old high school. There is more to come…REVIEW!**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Ladies and Gentlemen

KELSEY POV

I did my makeup as Alice instructed from her instructions taped to my mirror, and was satisfied. I looked pretty good. I had decided to wear jeans, brown heels and a purple blouse.

I stared at my golden yet dark eyes for a second before I quickly turned away. My eyes still reminded me too much of why I couldn't talk. I opened the secret panel I found yesterday and pulled one pouch of animal blood from its heater and downed it. I couldn't make any mistakes today.

I brushed my teeth, grabbed my purse and was out the door. _Now remember, your deaf._ I told myself as I walked to my car. Good thing I had, not a second too soon, a neighbor called to me and waved from his doorstep behind me.

Cringing inside, I unlocked my car. I heard him coming over, so I braced myself. "Hey lady," he said angrily, and tapped my shoulder. I 'jumped' and turned around and stared blankly at him as he yelled at me.

Then I let my face light up and I signed "You are such a douche bag." He paused for a second, confused, and then I could tell he was apologizing. Obviously, he didn't know any sign language. I rummaged in my purse and wrote him a note.

"Sorry, as you can tell, I'm deaf. There is no need to apologize, you didn't know. I'm Kelsey." He read out loud. I smiled politely as he wrote a note back. I could tell he was in to me, but he was 30. I'm 16.

After a few more minutes of awkwardness (only for me), I 'said' my goodbyes and got in my car and drove easily to the high school. I resisted parking in my old spot, which sat empty, and parked in front of the office and got out.

I ignored the stares and tried to ignore the whispers as I strode confidently into the office. I pulled out a note I had written while I drove and handed it to the woman at the desk. It explained everything, including why I was there.

After a moment of gaping at me, she showed me the way to the deaf offices. I just walked in; no one would hear me knock. The woman at the desk looked up and smiled. "You must be Kelsey." She signed, and I saw her eye twitch for just a second.

"That's me. I'm here to apply for that job opening." The woman smiled even bigger, if possible. "I'm Sasha, and I'm hiring you." I assembled my face to a shocked expression, and she laughed silently.

"I would be your evaluator and you pretty much are exactly what I need. Would you like a tour of the school?" she asked. I nodded eagerly. I really wanted to see how much had changed.

Sasha signed to me about everything I already knew, the bell schedule, the school rules, that sort of thing. But I was surprised to hear that we had gotten a dress code for students, but I was pleased. Maybe those sluts would be less slutty.

"Here is the cafeteria." She signed, opening the doors to the hellish place I had not forgotten. Some kids looked up curiously, but for the most part, the kids ignored us. I shot a glance at my old table. It was solemn and as quiet as the grave.

I eavesdropped on tables as we passed. "Did you hear it wasn't her body?" a slut asked, and I recognized her as the one I had snapped at so long ago. "Yah, I wonder where she is." A skank replied.

"Hey, whose the hot babe?" I heard a cookie-cutter guy ask one of his buds as we passed. "I dunno, but her ass is nice." He said. If I was human, my face would be flushing. We walked to the far corner of the cafeteria where the deaf kids sat.

I took in the measly five students. "This is Allison, Alice, Stefanie, Catherine and Natalie. Their a pretty tight group, but they will warm up to you." As she spoke, I nudged a chair lightly so the girls would realize we were there.

They smiled at Sasha, but looked at me quizzically. "Who is the tool?" Alice signed, and the girls started laughing silently.

"The tool is your new assistant teacher, Ms. Brooks." I signed. They stopped laughing instantly, and Sasha picked up their laughter. "You are perfect for this job." She signed, and tried to smother her chuckles.

Almost simultaneously, all of the girls flushed. I laughed at them and sat down at the table. "You're deaf?" Natalie signed, looking incredulous. I nodded, continuing the lie. "Oh." She signed.

I laughed again. 'And you're going to teach us?" Catherine signed. I nodded again, and then added, "I'm going to try." Stefanie was the first to crack a smile, and then they all did.

"Can you start tomorrow?" Sasha signed. I nodded, and she smiled that huge smile of hers. "Great. I'll show you were your office is." She signed.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

As I walked out of the office and out into the parking lot, I sensed all the guys looking at me. I knew I still resembled my old self in some ways (The hair, the name) but this was getting ridiculous.

The good old blank stare as they tried to talk to me was getting old. I should really just wear a sign around my neck that says I'm deaf for god's sake. I knew I would find out about my disappearance later, and apprehension was making me cranky.

My phone started vibrating once I was inside the car. I pulled out of the parking lot and got a safe distance away before I answered. "Hello?" I whispered hoarsely.

"Hey! How's our favorite little vampire doing?" I heard Emmett ask. It took me a second to realize I was on speaker phone. "Great, I got the job." I whispered quieter than the first time.

"Emmett you dip, you have to text her. She can't talk remember?" I heard Jasper say, and Emmett hung up. A second later I got a text.

"I am _not _a dip." It said. I laughed and pulled into the driveway and texted back, "Ladies and gentlemen, I think I'm going to like it here." Then I shoved my phone in my pocket and went inside.

**HAHA! I loved writing this chapter. I know things moved a little fast, and now it has slowed WAY down, but I'm workin on it. Bear with me here. I have plans for Kelsey, don't you worry. REVIEW**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Everyone is someone

KELSEY POV

As night settled over the town once more, I went back to my house. My _old_ house. I crept in the same way I had before, vampire speed.

The shrine was still there, but things had been added. I took them in silently, gazing at the old house. Moments later, I climbed the stairs silently, and walked into my parents' room.

Both were asleep, although neither looked very happy. I crouched beside my mom's side of the bed. Her face had changed drastically. Worry lines and wrinkles covered her face, and her mouth was turned down in a solid frown.

Slowly, carefully, I rested my hand lightly on her forehead. "It's not your fault. I'm in a happier place." I whispered as loud as I could. Then I darted smoothly towards the window as she stirred. I stayed perfectly still just under the sill.

I heard her sit bolt upright. She got up, and walked downstairs. I silently scaled down the house and peeked through the living room window. She was staring at my shrine. Then, she slowly leaned over and blew out the candles.

Feeling tears prick at my eyes, I jumped to the ground and ran away, like a silent ghost. When I entered my house through the window again, I got a text. Cautiously, I opened my phone.

**I'm sorry.** Was Alice's message. I stared at the message, then slowly closed my phone.

As the sun rose I was already ready for school. I downed the last packet of blood in my secret stash and headed out.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

The weeks passed. I wasn't happy, but I wasn't sad either. My job was ok, the girls I helped taught were really starting to like me. I could tell that was going to be a problem already.

But it was about to get much, much worse. It all started the day Eric Bradshaw transferred into my class.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Sasha waved a hand in front of my face to get my attention. I snapped out of it and smiled apologetically. I had been 'watching' the news that had announced the closing of my case.

"Do you know about that?" Sasha asked, pointing at the screen. I shook my head. She sighed and motioned me over to her office, and closed the door.

"A student here started acting strangely a few months ago, even though it only lasted about a week. Students who knew her said the day it started she complained of a sore throat." Sasha paused, and assembled her thoughts while I sat, frozen.

"She missed school, but when she came back, she was different. Even teachers noticed something was odd. Then, she disappeared. Nobody has seen her since, they just closed her case today." I felt Sasha's gaze on me, so I looked up.

"Her name was Kelsey, and you look kind of like her. That's why you have been getting some stares I suppose." I realized I didn't have to fake my emotion this time, my face was a mask of shock. I didn't think that anyone would have noticed.

The door opening scared us both. The woman from the front desk ushered a boy in and closed the door. Sasha was the first to respond. "Eric, welcome." She signed. The boy huffed angrily and nodded at her.

Then she turned to me. 'Sorry to spring this on you, I totally forgot. This is Eric Bradshaw. He has transferred here from Seattle." I nodded politely to him, wiping my face clean of all emotion. His eyes narrowed.

"So, would you like to give him a tour Ms. Brooks?" Sasha asked, breaking my gaze from him. I nodded and rose fluidly, put a hand on his shoulder and steered him out the door.

As soon as we where out of Sasha's sight, he tugged free from me, and I let him. He scowled angrily at me and stopped. I raised my eyebrows at him, and he scowled deeper.

"Listen, I don't know what your problem is, but I'm here to make sure you don't end up as a crazy bum on the street you understand? Now follow me." I signed. Something in my expression must have convinced him, because he followed.

I showed him around the school, and he didn't complain again. I then showed him to the cafeteria and over to the deaf kids table. He sat as far away from the girls as possible and scowled at me.

I resisted the urge to scowl back and walked back to Sasha's office. She gave me a big hug which sent my thirst spinning. I needed to hunt. "You did a excellent job! I'm assigning him to you, he's had a history of bad behavior but you seemed to handle him well." I accepted her compliment, and the rest of the day flew by.

It wasn't until the end of the day, and I was walking to the car that I knew something was wrong. As I got in and looked in the rearview mirror, I saw Eric standing a couple feet away from the girls.

He looked bored out of his mind. But chills went down my spine as he frowned and rubbed his throat.

My phone buzzed. I read the message, and my fingers flew over the keypad as I told Alice: **I think it's happening again. But to one of my students.**

She texted back. **Carlisle says to hunt him down, see if he does anything similar to what you did before you started evolving. He also says to wait and monitor him. When it gets bad, I'll probably see it, but call us. We can't risk anything happening that would attract the Volturi again.**

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

**So! Things are starting to change…you better keep up! Review!**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Fix Me

KELSEY POV

I ran into my house, and changed into sweats. I had a lot of work to do. I grabbed my iPod and started to 'jog' towards the woods. When I got there, I bolted, and fed until I was bursting.

Pleased to find myself clean of blood, I 'jogged' back out of the woods and back to my apartment. Then I waited until the sun set.

I slithered out my window, and ran silently across town, following Eric's scent to his household. His parents were asleep, but he was still up, pacing little circles in his room, rubbing his throat.

My blood turned cold.

Slowly, I went to his parents' room, and déjà vu made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. In their closets were suits, business clothing. On both of their bedside tables were pagers and cell phones.

His parents were probably exactly like mine, behavior wise. But why was this happening in _Gresham?_ The parents stirred so I leapt out their window and lay in the well of their roof, staring at the stars. (A roof well is the different parts of the roof meet to form a long well.)

Roof wells are the perfect place to hide, you can't see into them unless you are facing them, which means you would have to be as tall as the roof, or be on the roof too. Perfect spot for a vampire. You can hear everything happening in the house, without being in it.

My mind started to wrap itself around the mysterious events happening here in Gresham. Why here? Because it was cloudy a lot?

When the sun began to come up, I leapt off the house and ran back to mine. I changed for work then I logged onto my computer and opened a live video feed. As it opened, Carlisle and Alice were already there.

"Kelsey." Carlisle greeted me. I smiled in return, but there was no warmth in it. "I found a connection. His family was exactly like mine. The only thing I don't know is why it's happening in Gresham." Carlisle frowned, his brow furrowing.

Alice spoke up. "You have to leave now or you will be late to work. Take Eric aside and tell him everything. He will listen to you. Bring him to Forks." Alice said calmly. I nodded, thanked them both, and logged off.

I sat at my computer for a second, watching the empty screen. Then I got up and went to work, trying to think of how I was going to do this.

**So, can Kelsey persuade Eric to come with her, to believe her? Why is evolution starting in Gresham, to kids with crappy parents? You'll have to review and ask. **

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Lie Lie Lie

KELSEY POV

I tried to act normally throughout the day, and since I'm a vampire, it wasn't that hard to do. Inside I was freaking out, and my stomach was quaking with fear, for me and Eric.

If he told on me, I would be in big trouble. I had to make him believe me. During class, he was quiet, rubbing his throat. My only slip of my careful façade was when Sasha asked him about it, and he said it wouldn't go away, I'm pretty sure I looked horrified.

Or maybe like I knew something, because he was unusually cooperative all day, despite the pain he must he feeling in his throat.

So as I left the building, he was waiting in the same spot he always was. He lifted his hands to sign to me, but I took his forearm and pulled him into the outdoor teacher's lounge and closed the door.

"What are you doing?! Move." He signed as I stood in front of the door. I sighed and ran both hands through my hair. "Seriously, move!" he signed, starting to get scared. His floppy red hair was hanging in his grey eyes, and he was signing madly now.

I took both his hands in one of mine. I stared at him until he was calmed down enough that I wasn't worried he was going to flip out.

"Listen to me; I know this is going to sound crazy. Just answer my questions." I signed. He frowned, trying to understand, but nodded.

"How long have you had that sore throat?" I asked. He shrugged. 'I got it yesterday, why do you care?" He signed. I silently counted to ten before responding.

"I need you to come with me. I had a sore throat just like yours, and it's something a lot worse than just a sore throat. You need medical attention right now." I signed, fudging a bit.

He looked at me, speculating. Then he nodded slowly. "I swear, if you don't come with me, you will turn into something so evil, you can barely comprehend." I signed, seeing his eyes flick towards the door.

Then I put my arm on the small of his back and escorted him to my car. He didn't try to run, but rather got very, very quiet, watching me. "Is that why you're different?" he signed. I looked at him, stunned.

My cell phone buzzed, making me jump. Eric looked a little concerned that I wasn't looking at the road yet. I flicked it open, keeping my eyes on the road.

**Kelsey, get out of Gresham, NOW. You're setting off the reaction. Carlisle studied your blood, it sends out a signal to others who where in your situation.** I stared at Alice's message, dread seeping into my system.

'Hold on." I signed, and then gunned the engine. Eric grabbed the sides of his seat as I accelerated off the highway and onto a deserted country road exit, and began to take the back way.

'What's going on? I thought we were going to the hospital." He signed, and I could tell he was thinking I was a rapist or something. I stopped the car and turned to him.

"Listen-" I started, but he cut me off. "No, YOU listen. I want to know what's going on, right now." He signed, and then pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. Shit.

"Alright, alright." I signed, and then took a deep breath. "You were right about me being different. And if I don't get you to my friend who's a doctor, who helped me through, you will be in serious trouble. I almost died, alright?" I signed, fudging again.

He nodded slowly, but signed, "Why did you leave the highway?" I thought about what I could tell him, and he seemed to sense that. "You can trust me you know. I've trusted you." He signed.

"The sickness never leaves you. It's in me, sending out pulses to make certain people sick. I apologize for infecting you." I signed stiffly, and then started driving again.

'It was _you?"_ he signed, looking incredulous. I nodded, and increased our speed, until we were passing into Forks.

"Will I die?" he signed. I looked over at him, and then I shook my head. "NO, I will personally make sure of that." I pulled into the Cullen's driveway.

As we pulled in, I decided to show him something. I was out of the car and opening the door for him before he could even blink. He stared at me, open mouthed.

"You don't want it, trust me. Now come on." I signed, and pulled him out of the car, and walked him to the house. I went in without knocking.

"Carlisle." I croaked in relief as he came over. "How much have you told him?" he asked. I saw his eyes narrow out of the corner of my eye. "Not enough, he has a lot of questions that I need to answer." I croaked again.

'Alright save your voice. I'm going to get ready for him. Bring him upstairs as soon as you can." He disappeared, and Eric gasped.

"What's going on? Tell me!" he signed, more scared than demanding. I led him over to the couch, and sat him down.

"Try to believe me." I signed. He nodded quickly, seeing the change in my expression.

"My name is Kelsey Jenkins." I signed.

**Shaboom! He heh. This should go over well. Anyway, will Eric become a vampire? Did Kelsey start the evolution process in anyone else? All will be revealed…if you review. **

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39: All We Know

KELSEY POV

Eric started laughing then, so hard that he started crying. I frowned. This was going to be harder than I had originally thought.

"Ms. Brooks, you spin fantastic tales. But I really need to get home so my parents don't think I've been raped or something." He went to stand up, but I was standing over him before he could move.

"I am not lying to you. That sickness, the same one you have, turned me into what I am." He shook his head and went to duck under my arm, but I moved, blocking his way. "How can I make you understand…" I signed, frustration taking over.

I turned to punch something and found myself face to face with Carlisle. "I can prove that she is Kelsey Jenkins, and not the teacher you know her to be." Carlisle signed to Eric, ignoring me completely.

Eric narrowed his eyes. He obviously knew that he couldn't get out of here, yet I could tell that he wasn't afraid. Carlisle disappeared to return a second later with two DVD's on his pointer finger.

He walked over to the DVD player and pushed the first one in. I gasped In shock as I saw Jasper appear in the frame, angle a camera, then disappear, just as I walked in with Carlisle when I was human.

I saw Eric throw a glance at me in my peripheral vision. Carlisle continued to ignore me. I could hear the tape loud and clear, even if Eric couldn't. But he could clearly see Kelsey Jenkins collapse on the couch and talk to Carlisle. The tape ended as I got up to hunt with them.

I opened my mouth to say something, but I could think of nothing to say. The second tape made me leap up in shock. It started with Carlisle placing me on his bed, and it all went downhill from there.

"Stop it." I croaked. He ignored me, watching Eric watch the tape with huge eyes as the transformation began. It was terrible to see again, the memories had not yet vanished. The bubble went up and I watched, surprised how clear it was as I transformed from a dainty human who was pretty to a powerful and beautiful vampire.

"Stop it _now!!"_ I was surprised to hear myself yell. I was swelling in anger and shock. How _dare_ he tape things like that, I wasn't his experiment!

"Kelsey, you talked." He said in awe. I strode in front of the screen, blocking Eric's view of my destruction of the room, and snarled at Carlisle, dropping into a crouch. 'How _DARE_ you." I hissed.

"Kelsey, there is a human present." He reminded me. I heard Jasper enter the house and my anger shock and pain vanished instantly. I got up and strode to the window, still shaking with anger.

I leaned my head against the glass, and I heard the swishing movements of Eric signing something. Carlisle's response was almost silent, and I heard Jasper walk into the room.

I sighed and crumpled a little against the glass. He had freaking _recorded_ my moments of pain. A voice in the back of my brain told me he probably couldn't help himself, but still. I was actually a little scared of Carlisle now.

I pushed off the glass too quickly, and left two hand prints in the glass, and I heard Eric's gasp as I strode angrily and purposefully back over to stand in front of Carlisle. I was sure my eyes had changed back to black, but I didn't care.

"Can you still talk?" he asked me. I glared at him, and shook my head. I had felt it leave me at the same moment Jasper dispersed most of my coursing anger. "Hmmm, that was interesting." He muttered, still staring at me.

I felt a tug on my blouse and looked down. Eric quickly let go, seeing my face. Immediately, I felt bad. I was supposed to help this poor kid, not scare him to death. "Don't be afraid." I signed, and slowly sat down on the couch, trying not to scare him.

"You _are_ Kelsey Jenkins…what happened?" he signed, looking totally unafraid. I felt myself flinch, but explained the rest of my story anyway. "I figured out that I was becoming what I am now. But I am not a monster, I choose not too." I signed.

"What…are you?" he signed warily. "The only thing you will be able to eat, and I know you're hungry, is animal blood." I looked up slowly to see his frozen expression. "I'm a vampire." He lifted his hand to sign, but he left it hanging there, staring at me.

"And that will happen to you too, unless I can reverse it. It's not a sickness, you're evolving. I was unfortunately unable to do so with Kelsey." Carlisle signed from behind me.

"Come with me, I'll get you something to eat. I won't hurt you." I signed. Slowly, Eric stood up and followed me shakily out the door. "So you aren't really old? You're like, 16?" he signed. I nodded.

"And you aren't deaf?" he signed as we walked into the backyard. I nodded. "I'm mute. I can barely talk if I concentrate, but when I'm angry…well, I can talk fully." I signed. "How did that happen?" he signed, staring at me.

I stiffened. "That's a long story for another time." I signed, just as most of the family began to filter in to the backyard from a hunting trip. All of them were wary.

"They won't hurt you. These people helped me, and they will help you too." I signed, and introduced everyone. There were polite nods, and awkward silences, except for Alice, who danced over and signed her greetings.

Eventually, I shooed them into the house. By that time, I could tell the lack of food was taking its toll on Eric, like it had to me. "Climb on my back." I signed, and he stared at me.

I huffed and picked him up and slung him over my back. Then I was running, slowly to let him get used to it, than faster, till the forest passed quickly under my feet. When he started to squirm, I stopped and set him down. He staggered away from me, looking dazed yet awed.

Then I smelt the raccoon at almost the same time he did. He darted off without another word, and I shadowed him silently. He downed it, and then looked revolted. I stepped silently out of the woods and steadied him, making him jump.

He had a mini freak out and I walked around him to look him directly in the eyes. "I freaked out too. I killed a mouse in my garage. This blood will speed up the evolution, but you will feel much better." I signed.

He frowned and signed, "How so?" I began to run away, and then he was shooting past me. I caught up easily, still being a newborn, and guided him over the river and back home.

"What, what just happened?" he signed, looking excited. "You've started evolving. I'll bet by the end of the day, you won't be deaf anymore." I signed, and he froze, utter shock passing over his face.

**And so it begins! Kelsey is still pissed at Carlisle, Eric is evolving into a vampire, and the mystery of Gresham still remains…review!**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40: You Really Got Me

ERIC POV

Her words froze in my mind. Too not be deaf anymore…that would be incredible. Not that anything else that was happening to me wasn't. She gently guided me into the house, and my heart leapt every time she touched me.

I couldn't understand why she was so sad. But I knew I had to wait for that answer. I let Carlisle draw some of my blood, when it started.

A soft whisper floated into the room from the window. Kelsey leaned her head out and pulled it back in, shaking her head, when she saw my expression. 'What?" she asked, signing effortlessly.

"What was that outside? I _heard_ it." I signed happily. She laughed then, and some of that sadness disappeared for a second. "That was Emmett and Jasper outside. They made a very …um, loud noise. Was it that loud to you?"

"No, it was quiet. There it is again, but louder!" I amended as I heard the noise again. It sounded like rock hitting rock. For the next two hours, Kelsey signed to me, explaining everything, all my unanswered questions.

It was fascinating to learn about vampires. I was utterly grateful that Kelsey had figured out what was happening to me, so I wouldn't result to drinking off of humans. Speaking of, I wondered what was happening in Gresham…

So I asked if she knew anything. She told me of the plan that had already been completed. Her house was burned to the ground, and some of my possessions were planted, along with some of hers.

Plus, a tape only slightly damaged, that showed her 'teaching' me in her apartment, then thanks to someone from this strange family, parts of the fire destroying the house. How calmly I accepted this! But none of it seemed real.

Then I shut up my thoughts so Edward wouldn't overhear. Then I _heard_ him laughing downstairs. Heard! I couldn't stop the grin spreading over my face. Kelsey was looking at me strangely.

"What?" I asked, and laughed out loud. I had missed the sound of my voice. I hadn't been deaf forever after all. But that's for another time.

She smiled too, and my heart missed a beat; she was beautiful beyond belief. She motioned me into the hallway, and she stopped me in front of a mirror. I stared uncomprehendingly at the reflection looking back at me.

There wasn't a mark on me. My face had transformed, from slightly scruffy to male supermodel. My red hair was shiny and actually looked healthy, and my gray eyes were gone, replaced with the golden ones behind me.

"You're almost there." Kelsey said as loud as she was capable. I turned around, now her height and grinned at her. She smiled back, and suddenly, I didn't miss home at all, not that there was much to miss.

"So, you mentioned you could make bubbles?" I said, distracting her, and myself. She grinned, and a gray bubble appeared around me. She gasped and waved it away. Her face had changed from happy and beautiful to vulnerable and scared.

Horrified, she darted down the hall to Carlisle's office. I barley heard her whisper, but it was there. "They changed colors, my force fields. They aren't pink anymore…they're grey." Her voice got stronger as she freaked out more.

I guess it wasn't just anger, but strong emotion too. I walked briskly into the office, and stood silently at the door.

Kelsey looked torn. She was still mad at Carlisle, but she obviously wanted help; _something_ with her force fields wasn't right. She sighed, looked down, and made a bubble around herself. From the tape I had seen of her transformation, it was supposed to be a lightly pink sphere.

This one was gray and warped, making it hard to see her clearly. Instead of a perfect sphere, it bulged in and waved out in different areas. "It never leaves you Kelsey." Carlisle said softly.

The bubble shattered. The look on her face chilled me to the bone as she blew past me. I instantly followed her, tracking her easily. She ran deeper and faster into the wood, until I was afraid I would lose her.

Then she stopped abruptly, and I shadowed the area cautiously. I wasn't a vampire yet. I slowly stepped out of the trees to find her on a worn trail, sitting on a fallen log; head between her knees. Her back shook with sobs.

I came over and sat beside her. Cautiously, I put my arm around her. She stiffened, and what I realized where her dry sobs stopped instantly.

"What is it?" I said, and was pleased that I could still hear my voice. She looked up slowly. Her eyes had that darkness in them stronger than I had ever seen it.

"I never told you one thing about my past." She said lifelessly, staring glaringly into the forest. "There used to be a pack of werewolves around here that contracted an illness. It spread to me, then to others in the family.

It's called the Grey Death, and that's why my force fields are no longer pink. It never leaves you." She choked out.

"And then, I had to fight it. At first I wasn't…sure if I wanted to or not. It was so…difficult. But that's an understatement. That's why I can't talk anymore." Her grief was so bad; her voice was clear as day. "But you wouldn't understand." She whispered.

Suddenly, I felt agonizing pain, uncertainty and sadness. I felt her doubt, every inch of her treacherous journey to health, everything.

My gasps of pain made her move in a to-fast-to-be-human moment to be kneeling in front of me. She looked at me worriedly, and then she reached up and brushed my hair out of my eyes, to see me better.

She gasped and leapt away, and her feelings and everything about the moment she shared with me really, vanished. She stood trembling a few feet away. "You have a power." She said, still not looking at me.

"What is it?" I asked, surprise coloring my tone. She hesitantly looked up, straight into my eyes, then relaxed slightly. Her eyes had been searching mine, and obviously she was satisfied she couldn't find what ever she was looking for.

"You have the power of understanding. You must, because your eyes…they had that darkness mine had, but it vanished. Did you see…feel…everything?" she asked.

I nodded.

**So! That's Eric's power for you. He understands anyone, anything. He knows the truth because he can experience it…without having experienced it. A little odd; a little confusing. I'll elaborate more later. Review, because I want to take a count of how many people read this story. It's time for roll call! Just review and say 'here', or 'present'. That would be awesome!**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Raindrops on Roses

ERIC POV

She stared at me for a moment, her expression unreadable. We stared at each other and minutes passed. I felt a charging of the atmosphere, and felt a strange urge to hug her.

Then, I felt something-odd. At first I thought I was imagining it. It felt almost like pins-and-needles, starting in my toes. But it was spreading rapidly, and I immediately felt uncomfortable. Seeing my expression change, she came closer.

"Eric?" she signed. Her voice was gone as fast as it had come. I shook my head slowly, staring at my toes, confused, and in slight pain. What was that? Her gaze flicked from my face to my toes and back again.

"Its started." She breathed. Suddenly, I was on her back, and she was running faster than I could even dream of as a half-vampire. As the forest rushed by, my discomfort increased, and a little fear seeped in.

From what I had seen on Kelsey's transformation tape, this might not be pleasant. Nausea crept slowly into my stomach. It wasn't from the running.

I barely registered her swinging me effortlessly off her back and into her arms. My heart didn't even react this time, although my thoughts blearily complied. Her skin was cold yet smooth and strangely comforting underneath me.

"Carlisle!" I heard her call quite clearly. I wondered what she was feeling, to be able to talk so clearly. Then I realized she had a hint of distress in her voice. Could she really care for me?

I felt cushy bed underneath me a second later, and cold fingertips probing my forehead. They moved to my chest, and I wondered who the fingers belonged to. But when the fingers pulled away, the ache spread there, until my whole body ached and started to burn.

I tired as hard as I could not to cry out in pain, but it was difficult. The fire was now raging, and when my eyes shot open from the pain, I saw flames dancing on my skin, burning my clothes.

Shit. What do you do in case of fire?! …oh, stop drop and roll! I leapt out of bed and started to roll, vampire speed. Cool arms scooped me up, and a voice sounded by my head.

"Eric? You aren't on fire." It was Carlisle's voice, and its calmness infuriated me. "Yes I am!" I snarled and bucked out of his arms, and continued to roll. Cold arms scooped me up again.

"Eric? Eric. Listen. You saw my tape. Try to _understand._" Kelsey's voice penetrated deeply into my brain, and suddenly I felt the flames disappear, only to burn within. I gasped in pain and opened my eyes.

Kelsey's honey eyes had darkness swirling in them more than ever before as she leaned over me. Her face was a mask, so many emotions enforcing it. Hesitantly, she picked up a hand and brushed my hair out of my forehead as I gasped and writhed in pain.

"It burns-" I groaned, and hissed as the temperature flared even hotter. I must be like a wax figure, melting and drooping until nothing is left.

"I know. I'm so sorry Eric." The darkness completely took over her eyes, and the honey color was now a darker, greyer color. The Gray Death…it wasn't only the outside that dies, the inside does too. I understood this so suddenly the pain became a background feeling as horror washed through me. What was happening to her?

The feeling vanished as the pain flared back again, and I snapped out of it. Kelsey had a hand over her mouth, her face wrought with indecision and pain. She was blaming herself; that much I knew.

The burning took all control, until I was sure sweat was streaking down my face, matting my hair and stinging in my eyes.

I hadn't realized my eyes closed until I opened them and Kelsey wasn't there. Irrational terror flooded through me. Where did she go?

A second later, coolness enveloped me. It was like jumping into a cool lake on a scorching day. My body relaxed instantly. Kelsey's scent filled my nostrils and the burning was almost nonexistent.

I only started screaming as it entered my heart. Kelsey's arms grew tighter around me and I heard her voice saying something in my ear, but I was at a loss as to what she actually said.

My body went limp as my heart tried and failed to live. I stayed in the same position, but I tensed when I realized I was still in Kelsey's embrace. I rolled over stiffly, and found myself nose to nose with the angel herself.

She looked very unsure and quite worried, and I knew why. She was going to die, she was a threatening vampire. I shoved her away, and as she crashed into the wall, I stood on the bed, posed, ready to kill.

Her dark eyes full of hatred stared back at me from the deep chasm in the wall. The darkness swirled, became darker. Suddenly, two large arms encircled me. My gaze was ripped away from hers as I bucked angrily.

"ERIC." Emmett bellowed in my ear. My mind ran through my memories until I remembered. I looked up quickly, met Kelsey's gaze. She was just outside the hole that just fit her body; her gaze was masked with sadness, and her eyes were greyer still, almost no trace of honey remained.

Then she bolted, swinging out the window, and I tracked her footsteps and heard her gasping sobs from afar until finally, nothing. I remained frozen in Emmett's grip until something passed in front of my face and I blinked rapidly to clear my vision.

Jasper stood in front of me, expression wary. Just as I wondered why, I already understood. He thought I was a dangerous killing newborn.

"Oh no." I breathed, to preoccupied with Kelsey to notice my voice change. It was like butter, smooth and creamy, with a hint of sweetness. Jasper looked confused. For the first time, I tried to get out of Emmett's embrace.

"I need to talk to her, I need-" I struggled uselessly in his monster grip. "Eric. Listen, you need to hunt." Jasper's face and voice were already a distant memory.

"Get off of me." I snarled, my voice changing completely. I grabbed Emmett's forearms and _threw_ him out the window. I danced around Jasper and through the still falling glass shards, jumped over Emmett and booked it, following Kelsey's trail.

Why was I such an idiot?! I hurt her, badly. New footsteps alerted me to Edward quickly catching up with me, and Emmett and Jasper not too far behind. I put on a burst of speed and jumped a huge gap between cliff faces easily, and kept tracking her.

As Edward's hand connected with my shoulder, I reached back, grabbed his arm, and body slammed him to the ground, making a neat impression of his back into the stone. I jumped over him as Emmett and Jasper landed on the cliff and took off.

I ran on, following her trail, and heard Alice join the group, and she mentioned a vision she had. I couldn't hear her though, I was too far ahead. And I wasn't about to slow down.

I started as I noticed the ground had changed beneath my feet. At the last second, I threw myself into a bush as the sun came out, and I heard the group pursuing me land in bushes just behind me.

I had recognized where we were. The Grand Canyon.

**What the hell is going on? Good question. Keep reading. And review.**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	42. Chapter 42

****IMPORTANTE****

**In FOUR days, I go back to school. Usually, that means I go on hiatus until breaks, vacations, ect. BUT, I recently (today in fact) acquired a laptop of my very own. Therefore, I may not be on hiatus, but the updates may be more and more spread out until summer comes again...**

****IMPORTANTE****

Chapter 42: Bleeding Love

ERIC POV

"Damn it Eric, listen to me." I heard Edward hiss impatiently. We had been doing an awkward chase; when the clouds went over the sun, we would book it. When it came back out, we would hide in the bushes, not willing to risk being seen.

I could only hope that Kelsey was hiding too. Her trail was fresh, her scent burning into my mind…

"ERIC. Goddamn it, listen!" Edward growled. We darted forward another few yards, then hid again.

"Fine then. Alice had a vision; you need to get to Kelsey as soon as possible. We aren't trying to…detain you anymore." My power made me understand instantly, but I rebelled against it.

"You're positive?" I asked quietly after a minute. I heard Alice huff. "Of course I'm sure you twit. Now go!" She said as the clouds made an appearance once more. I darted like a javelin out into the open, and backpedaled to a stop at the edge of the huge canyon.

Kelsey still had some sense; she was in the less common part of the canyon, the most northern tip. I could smell her just across it, and for a second, I saw her skin glitter in the sunlight and then she vanished into a large cave.

Cussing, I swung down from the lip and darted under a face, hiding in the limited shadow on the straight drop downward. Four thuds followed, and I found myself face to face with Edward.

"Move over." Was all he said, and I did, already understanding what they were going to do. Emmett came in last, his clothed back sealing out any rays of sunshine. I peeked through a hole in the small rocky passageway we were in, searching the cliff for her.

Alice spoke suddenly, "Kelsey. It's Alice obviously. Eric doesn't want to kill you. Please come here." A rock fell into the canyon, and I saw a glimpse of one of her darkened eyes, then shadow again.

'I don't want to talk Alice." Her voice chilled me to the bone; it was riddled with pain and carried a dead and detached air. 'Plus, I know you are not alone." Her voice broke on the last word; she could smell me.

The sun vanished for a second, and then returned. "Kelsey…I was confused. I didn't recognize you…I-" I broke off, unsure of what else to say. I heard her gasp on the other side of the canyon, and more rocks falling.

I punched through the rock for a better viewing hole. She stood against a flat piece of rock, hands pressed flat against it, watching me. She whispered, "You were right. I didn't deserve you, and I shouldn't have acted that way."

With those words, her eyes turned completely gray. I went to launch myself across the space, but Emmett's huge hand grabbed my wrist and held me as I broke through the stone and hung from his grip, looking down at the dizzying drop below.

I flashed my head up to look at her and she flinched. "Don't, I'm not worth it." She whispered, and a flat warped grey platform appeared perfectly beneath my feet, and Emmett slowly let go.

It held my weight shakily; it reflected her state of mind. I positioned myself like a surfer, trying to keep it steady.

"You are worth it. You saved me, you make me whole. I can hear now because of you. And you're words hurt me." I slowed my voice way down and stopped abruptly as the last sentence slipped out.

The platform wobbled and I waved my arms to regain balance. I heard her fast intake of breath, and it stopped shaking so much. Emmett's hand was even with my eyes, but I ignored it. I only had eyes for Kelsey.

I continued after a pause. "I understand how you feel, funny enough, and I'm telling you its wrong. It's The Gray Death trying to take you back." She lurched from her position on the wall.

"You are worth my feelings Kelsey." I said, and the bubble beneath me shattered.

I heard her cry of dismay and pain as I plunged downward, my fingertips just brushing Emmett's. My hand smashed through any rock I tried to grab onto, it was too hard, and I was going much to fast.

A whine pitched through my ears as I reached terminal velocity right before I crashed through the rolling Colorado River. I went down like a torpedo, and I felt myself lodge into first sediment, then hard rock, and it seized up around my legs.

None of my tugging and pushing was doing much good; I was in up to my shoulders in rock and sediment. I tried to twist out and found myself quite stuck, even for a newborn with newborn strength.

I squirmed uselessly, looking skyward for my family. I was trapped.

KELSEY POV

I knew I was sick, but I had not conquered The Grey Death or my depression after all. But when Eric said those words, I felt it shatter; disappear. Unfortunately, so did his only support, my platform.

I darted to the edge and watched in horror as his red head disappeared between the waves.

**Review your pants off! JK, you need to keep those on. Seriously. All clothing is required to read this story. **

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43: My Immortal

KELSEY POV

Without thinking, I threw myself off the cliff, and twisted to my back to avoid hitting the bottom. The splash I made was incredible, and I heard my family above yelling, trying to get down to us with out jumping off the cliff.

My mind was full of worry. What had I done? I knew that Eric couldn't drown, but he wasn't surfacing, and I couldn't see him.

I stroked frantically through the water, trying to find his scent. The rushing water had washed any traces away. My eyes scanned quickly through the water, and a swirling cloud of sediment caught my attention.

I entered it, and was immediately blinded. I frantically trapped it in bubbles and sent them to the surface, trying to see.

Hysteria creeping up on me, I blindly swept my hands through the murkiness as my vision began to clear. Desperation was making my blood sing, and all I could think about was Eric.

I swam next to the small writhing mass and made a huge bubble, filtered out the muck and sediment and let it go passed me. The water was colder, and no currents tugged on me here, once the muck was gone, and barren rock littered the bottom a few feet below me.

I froze as I saw Eric writhing and twisting; although only the top of his shoulders and up was visible, a few yards away. He was looking upward, looking for help. I realized that he was stuck, embedded deep into the rock.

'Eric," I whispered in pure fear and darted over. He heard the vibrations of the water as I pushed it, and my muffled voice, which was back for the moment. He immediately jerked his gaze from skyward over to me, as I closed the last few feet.

I lifted my hands to touch his face and hesitated. Did I change his mind? Did he think I was crazy?

Filled with concern, I closed the few inches my fingertips had left and worriedly stroked his face, then let my hands run down his neck and part of his shoulders until I met rock. He had been going so fast, part of his shoulders were actually incased in rock. If he had been going any faster, or if he was anymore aerodynamic, he would be totally encased.

His muffled voice shouting my name snapped me back to attention. He was struggling again, trying to dislodge the rock from his arms and torso. I floated until my head was next to his, and examined the rock, and felt dismay run through me.

He was dead center in a huge plate, with at least fifty yards of rock around him in every direction. No wonder he was stuck. He obviously couldn't push up with his feet; the rock had shifted to cover his shoulders as the water rushed by us with new intensity.

I felt something tugging on my hair and looked over to see Eric tugging on it with his teeth. He opened his mouth to say something when a huge groan made the water vibrate and the rock I was perched on shake.

I froze as I saw a huge part of the cavern coming away underwater. It would follow the tilted plate of rock we were on and slide down it. Right over Eric. His impact must have shaken things up a bit.

"What, what?!" he shouted, his voice muffled by the water. He struggled uselessly against the rock, trying to turn and see. I pulled his head around to face me, which was harder than I would have thought. He was a newborn after all.

Then, I kissed him. His face froze in surprise under my fingertips, which were running through his hair, over his face, stroking his cheeks. He moved to kiss me back but was frozen, trapped in the rock.

All of my emotion, doubt and fear vanished as I let my hands snake around his head, holding him to me, despite the fact that he couldn't turn away. He let my tongue in easily, and his mouth was delicious and cool.

He fought against the rock, wanting to bring his hands up to hold me, and was unable to. I could almost feel his frustration. His face relaxed under mine, even though I could barely feel the vibrations of his struggling on the rock I rested on.

My legs slowly floated up as we kissed, and pulled me away a little. He moved his head, following me, and I kicked over to him again, and we continued. All time seemed to stop and I heard nothing.

A rock hitting my head made me jerk upward out of the kiss. Small rocks were rolling down the steep slope as the piece of cavern rock began to dislodge. Quickly, I pecked his lips, stroked his cheek with my hand and swam above him and away. The rock groaned, and I had to duck and spin out of the way of a rock flying past.

I darted towards it, leaving Eric where he was, even though he was shouting my name and fighting the rock with all his strength, trying to see where I was going.

ALICE POV

I ran down the path, speeding after Edward as the water got closer and closer. Jasper nearly ran me over when I was lost in a vision. I felt him pick me up, but it seemed far away as I watched Kelsey stop kissing Eric, who was trapped in rock and swim towards a monstrous rock which was sliding down toward him. It would kill him or shove him deeper into the rock, trapping him.

The rock was huge, the size of the Super Dome in New Orleans. Eric was trapped in a huge flat plate, with a good 60 feet of rock incasing him on each side. Not even a just created vampire could break out of that.

I snapped out of it and when Edward read my mind he cursed and jumped. I followed suit, taking Jasper with me.

**Holy Moly Macaroni! Eric is trapped, Kelsey and him love each other, and he could possibly be entombed forever! Just FYI I am pretending that the Colorado River is super deep there, like OCEAN deep, so just play along. That's why the rocks are so big, or this wouldn't really work. So just go along, it makes the story much more dramatic and intense! Oh, and by the way, they will be talking underwater a lot, if you've done it, you should understand. They don't need to breathe, so their voices are a little clearer. Review!**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Kryptonite

KELSEY POV

I only looked back once, and it broke my dead heart. Eric was still putting up a terrific fight, trying to understand. He could only understand if it was spoken or in his knowledge.

His hair floated everywhere in the water, (picture him with a Ron Weasley haircut, that's what I've always imagined) and his head jerked repeatedly upward as he tugged uselessly, trying to free himself.

I turned my attention back to this huge rock. It was sliding faster than I would have liked, it had already broken away, and was seconds away from squashing me. I closed my eyes.

Pouring in all my love, I brought my hands up and made the biggest force field I have ever made. It encircled the whole thing, suspending it.

Eric's muffled shouts and vibrations from his struggling only fueled my force-field making.

I mentally stretched it firmly in front of the rock, and back a little ways, to hold it in place, doing the same thing on all sides. Then, I let go of it, releasing it, and felt the energy pour out of me. It screeched to a halt, pushing me back a few feet. I collapsed on the titled surface, and stayed that way.

Mind numbing agony was running through me, making me gasp and scream. It was worse than my transformation. I felt my body sliding down the steep and slippery slope, but did nothing to support myself, I couldn't.

Terror began to leak into the pain. I guess vampires have limits after all. My thoughts were dim as I felt almost human, and sound faded away, as did all other feeling.

ERIC POV

Cussing angrily, and calling for Kelsey, I twisted with all my strength, trying to see where she had gone. She wouldn't just leave me that much I knew. Something was wrong.

Small rocks pinged against my head and I twisted continuously in one direction, pushing. Small cracks began to appear. If I could mold it to my body shape, it would get bigger…hopefully enough for me to squeeze through.

A deafening screech made me freeze, then start up again with new intensity. I was angry at myself, a _newborn_ trapped.

I stopped in disbelief as clear screams echoed through the water, then cut off abruptly. "Kelsey?!!" I yelled in panic, my voice muffled and quiet, as I squirmed violently, trying to see.

If anything happened to her…quiet vibrations as something landed on the plate and began sliding reached me, I freaked out. I started jerking upward again. I HAD to get out-

Then I was paralyzed in fear and disbelief as I finally managed to turn a little, just enough for me to lay my head back and see. A _gigantic_ rock was held in place by an even bigger _pink_ force-field, about 3 meters away from me.

And a slumped and crumpled Kelsey, who was closing the space between us with her hair masking her face, was shaking and sliding slowly with the tilt of my prison, directly to the left of me. I quickly jerked my head forward and strained to see the 60 or so meters to the edge of the plate.

Horror gripped me as I saw it was a straight deep drop until it reached the bottom, a bottom I couldn't even see, it was so dark. Kelsey couldn't go down there. What ever had happened to her, she was incapacitated, something was dreadfully wrong.

"Kelsey!" I shouted as she came closer, bubbles from my speech floating dizzily up to the surface. She didn't respond and remained limp as she pulled even with my head, balancing on the perfect tip of the degree.

I stretched as far as I was capable and nudged her with my head. She didn't respond, and began to slip into the last 60 meters towards the edge. I latched onto her shirt with my teeth and pulled upward. The rock groaned, and the rock underneath me shifted a few degrees.

Her shirt ripped and she fell, tumbling against the rock and then over the edge. I yelled and struggled, refusing to look away from the edge. She would crawl back up, fighting, and be alright, she had to be…

"Eric!" I heard someone yell above me. I realized the muck had floated over me again, and Kelsey wasn't here to disperse it.

"I'm down here! Over here!" I yelled as loud as I could, continued to try to jerk upright, trying to make some of my vivid red hair visible.

"Eric?!" The voice shouted again. It was farther away, and I saw the group stroking _away_ from me, scanning the bottom, before the muck swirled around me again.

"OVER HERE!" I bellowed, trying to expand my lungs further, but the rock was firm. I had no volume. The group rounded the corner and I slumped. I waited for what seemed like eternity, occasionally fighting to free myself when my thoughts took over.

I froze when I saw the group rounding the bend again. After some more mostly fruitless struggling, I dislodged a larger rock from behind my neck and sent it clattering down the slope and after Kelsey.

"Listen." Jasper said, and stopped, one finger raised, looking slightly away and down, listening. He looked confused, but I knew he was tracking me. The muck swirled around me again, blocking my view. And theirs.

I frantically started shouting, twisting my neck and trying to twist my body to dislodge more rocks.

JASPER POV

I froze as I heard a quiet noise among the whirling and swirling muck. It was difficult to see, even for a vampire.

"Listen." I said quietly, and moved my raised finger to join its fellows and then cup around my ear, trying to hear. A muffled cry reached my ears from my right, and I spun, squinting through the swirling blackness.

A flash of pink caught my eye, and I darted towards it. "He _is_ this way." Alice said confidently, to the others, and led them after me. The cries got louder and I recognized Eric's voice.

I stopped in shock, floating a few inches above the huge slanted rock beneath my feet, staring. A giant rock was held in place by an equally impressive force-field. It was so big it didn't even look real, and encircled the whole thing.

I tore my eyes away and spun around, looking for Eric or Kelsey. They had to be nearby. No one else in my family was as good as tracking as me funny enough. Being in the army has its perks.

'Over-" Eric's voice barely cut through the water, but I darted towards the sound. I swam through some swirling black and seconds later got a face full of his red hair. I curved around him and pulled back in surprise.

Emmett managed to whistle in awe from behind me. Eric was buried shoulder deep in the super thick rock. He must have gotten stuck after he fell. He was jerking uselessly; he obviously hadn't seen us yet, the muck was stronger here.

He froze though as the last echo's of Emmett's whistle penetrated the water near his left ear. "Kelsey? Hello?!!" He called, gaining volume when Kelsey didn't answer. That can't be good.

Edward and Emmett swam up with me and Alice swam around to perch behind him, her small feet curling over the slight drop in the rock before it met Eric's shoulders. His face cleared of panic and worry swept in as he took us in.

"I'm stuck, and I can't get out, Kelsey swam away from me and I couldn't see her and suddenly she was screaming and then sliding past me; she fell of this plate, you have to get to her!" He said this very quickly almost accenting each word with a struggle or twist.

"Jasper, try to calm him down, Emmett, try to get him out. Alice, come with me, let's go look." Edward said after a minute of quick thinking. I immediately sent out waves of calm and confidence, which made Eric relax a little from his stiff position in the rock.

The worry didn't vanish from his face though. Emmett was circling around us, trying to find a place to push or pull. "I would give you my arms to pull, but that's obviously not an option." Eric said, trying to twist his head to follow him, still struggling despite my efforts.

"And he can't pull your head; he will just take it off…" I voiced out loud, and Eric paled, if that's even possible for a vampire.

"I'm trapped then." He said softly, slumping in his rock prison, his face white.

**What a dilemma! I've had a bunch of fun writing this, I hope you are enjoying it! Review and tell me!**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Broken Vow

EDWARD POV

I dove deeper with Alice, watching the deep valley get narrower and narrower, until we had to go single file. The inky blackness was hard to penetrate, but I could see the jagged edges of the chasm close on either side of me.

I ground to a halt as I realized if I went any deeper, I would be lodged into the walls. Alice turned easily, her pixie form almost lost in the darkness when she sensed I wasn't following.

I pushed with my shoulders against the edges, but I would be too slow going after her, I had no speed, and falling rocks might hit someone. Like Kelsey, wherever she was.

"You'll have to go alone, she can't be much farther." I called. She nodded and sped deeper, until I couldn't see her anymore.

I swam back up to the rest of the party, and felt bad when Eric's face lit up when he saw me, but the hope vanished as he saw Kelsey wasn't with me. I quickly explained and he let his head sag at the news, his nose touching the thick rock in front of him.

The water coursed around us for a minute, as everyone was silent. Everyone's hair floated in strange shapes around them, and everyone except Eric floated dreamily in the water.

"We can't get him out with out breaking him in pieces." Emmett said finally, still swimming around him, looking for a spot of leverage on the flat surface. I stared at the small cracks Eric had made, thinking, Emmett's words ringing in my head.

"That's it! Emmett, you are a genius." I said, snapping out of my thoughts as a plan that could actually work sprung to mind. Eric lifted his head, frowning. "You are _not_ taking my head off." He growled halfheartedly. I knew he would probably be willing to try that, but…

"We can't break you, so we will break the rock." I said confidently, assuming Emmett's previous motions, looking for fault lines in the rock.

"Oh, bravo. What a brilliant plan." Jasper said sarcastically. 'What are you planning to use, TNT?" I shot him a glare. Emmett started laughing, and we all glared at him. His chuckles died down, and he frowned at us.

'We can load rocks onto this side, and use the weight to dislodge this piece from the wall. That huge rock will help. When it hits the narrower chasm below, the force will split the rock, possibly freeing Eric." I said, pointing at the huge rock held back by Kelsey's force field a few meters away.

ALICE POV

I balked after a few more minutes. The rocks had become jagged, and I saw in the limited light, vampire skin. I swam closer, and saw that it was Kelsey. Her shirt was ripped on the shoulder, and the neck of her shirt was caught on a rock, and was close to tearing.

As I watched, swirling water made Kelsey's head fall limply to her chest, and her hair floated in thin tendrils all around, obscuring her face. I lurched forward as her shirt ripped, and darted down after her, and then stopped sharply as her falling body blocked the chasm. Her face was away from me, and her body was limp.

I grabbed her shoulders and pulled. After a slight hesitation, she came free, but remained limp. I tugged her quickly to higher ground, to the flat top of the chasm before the sides fell away, and looked up as I set her down.

The huge slab Eric was embedded in was directly above us, give or take a few meters. I saw Edward and Emmett circling, and figured that Eric was still stuck. I turned my attention back to Kelsey and perched next to her limp form and straightened her out, smoothing hair away from her face.

She could very easily pass as a beautiful dead human. Her eyes were closed, but her face and her body suggested she had been in pain before she 'died'. Figuring the water couldn't be good for her; I wrapped an arm around her waist, and pushed off from the bottom at an angle.

I turned and reached up, curling my fingers around the lip of the slab, and seconds later, Jasper pulled us both up effortlessly. I avoided Eric's gaze and thanked Jasper quietly, then pushed off the slab, ignoring Eric's frantic voice shouting questions.

ERIC POV

I was listening to Edward's plan when I noticed a small hand curl around the rock, and my heart soared. Was it Kelsey? Edward, picking up my thoughts jerked his head toward it, looking at Jasper.

He turned and clasped the hand at the wrist and pulled. I was paralyzed again then as I took in Alice holding Kelsey, one arm encircling her waist. She said something to Jasper, and then pushed off.

I felt a rush of concern and adrenaline as they began to gain altitude. "Is she ok? Kelsey? ALICE?!" I shouted, my voice getting louder as she got farther and farther away. I stared upward, head thrown back, trying to watch them go.

A large rock thudding down next to me snapped me back, my teeth vibrating in their gums. I shot a look at Emmett, as he set three more down and went back for more.

I continued to twist angrily and with fear fueling me as I pictured the memory in my mind, Alice pushing off, Kelsey unresponsive, limp in her grasp. I tried fruitlessly to increase the small cracks I had created.

My whole body jerked and slid as the rock tilted, groaning. I was on one end of a giant see-saw.

**Is Kelsey alive? Will this plan work? Will Eric ever be free? MUHAHAHA! You better keep reading… (Reviewing is also nice)**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46: How Far We've Come

ALICE POV

My head burst through the water, and I swam vampire speed over to a jut of rock that was water level a mile away. I lifted Kelsey and put her body on it, then crawled on myself. The sun was beating down, and the rock was warm.

I quickly towed her to a shaded area and crouched beside her. I listened for breathing, but there was nothing. I scooted around her and put her head in my lap, sitting cross legged. My hair had come free of its style, and stuck to my face and forehead, and so did Kelsey's much longer curly hair.

I brushed it all out of the way, stared at her for a minute. What could have happened down there? Enough to make a vampire collapse, and be unresponsive… which is supposed to be impossible.

My thoughts turned to the force-field. It was huge, and I began to wonder. The energy necessary to make such an object…

I thought back to when I was running and swimming with Jasper. I remember being slightly tired afterwards; I had never ran that fast before. Rosalie and Emmett had looked exhausted when they showed, up, and he said they were going so fast they crashed…

I whipped out my cell, still thinking, and went to punch in Carlisle's number, but got electrocuted for my trouble. Hissing angrily, I laid it out in the sun. If it dried, I could call him and ask…do vampires have limits?

ERIC POV

"Move, move!" I yelled at Edward, Emmett and Jasper as the rock tipped further, blocking them from my view, but giving me a great view of the water up to the surface. I saw Alice's legs vanish a mile away, just as the rock, with a giant creak, tipped the scales in my favor.

I ducked my head as the huge rocks rumbled and toppled past me, and then I was in free fall. The surface got farther and farther away, and I got a fleeting glimpse of Jasper, Emmett and Edward hanging uncertainly in the water, not quite to the surface.

I wasn't ready for the bone jarring impact, but it came. Muck and darkness swirled up violently from the impact, clouding around me; blinding me.

I struggled to right myself against the unyielding rock as my head snapped back at the impact, screeching against a large boulder. I felt my neck nearly snap as my head bounced forward again like a ping pong ball.

The bounce upward propped my head up at an awkward angle against the same boulder that nearly decapitated me. I squinted, trying to see if there were cracks in the rock, squirming and twisting when I couldn't see anything.

Slowly at first, but then faster, cracks shot out in spider web patterns across the rock as the murk began to clear. I pushed my body upward, putting pressure on the cracks.

"ERIC!!" Emmett bellowed, and I heard the others swimming, looking for me. Suddenly, the whole structure shifted to the right and downward, moving my head off the rock.

I gasped and ducked as boulder rolled past me, and I realized the whole rock had broken in half, and my half was flipping. A loud screech, then nothing. I cautiously cracked an eye open and gasped in shock.

My half was forming a bridge across the chasm, and the first half had landed a few meters to my left, then falling horizontal also. I was upside down. I struggled to look around, and saw a few feet next to me, a large crack had formed, and I could see my toes!

I kicked, and rock broke away, leaving my feet free. If I really stretched, I could get them through the opening.

"Oh, shit." It was Emmett, his face appearing next to my toes. Large pieces of rock fell away, and if I craned my neck, I could see them all.

'Good job, this worked spectacularly." I said sarcastically, and struggled against the rock. The large cracks hadn't done much, just chip away some of the thickness.

'Hey, it wasn't my plan." Jasper said, glaring at Edward, who scowled back. "Kick the rock, bracing you heel towards him. If we can shave off more thickness, he can break through." Edward said, and kicked.

I cussed as a large sheet came off and slammed into my forehead, then flipped off and into the chasm below. "Oh, that was very stimulating." I snarled. My head felt funny.

"Dude, you have a dent in your-" Edward cut off Emmett as he and Jasper kicked at the same time. I gasped as the water flooded over my knees, and then snarled as the rock hit me right in the face.

I bucked and arched my back painfully as more cracks appeared. All at once, the rock shattered, and I fell head over heels into the chasm until I could right myself. I gingerly stretched my arms and legs then swam back over to the tiny opening. Emmett had his huge hands around it and was peeling it back, making the hole larger.

ALICE POV

When my cell finally dried I called Carlisle, and explained everything. He was already coming when I asked, "Do vampires have limitations?" He hesitated, and I heard Rosalie and Esme following him, and the brush and trees whipping by.

He finally answered, "I don't know. Do you think that's what happened to her?" I hesitated, and glanced over at Kelsey.

"Yes. That force field is incredibly huge. The effort needed…" I trailed off. "Where are you?" Carlisle asked in the phone. I backed into the sunlight and looked up. They were standing on the edge, looking for me.

I shifted so sparkles coming off my skin would move. He saw me, and they started to climb down. After tense minutes, they were there. Carlisle immediately came over, already opening his doctor's bag.

I waited impatiently as Esme and Rose jumped in to help Emmett Jasper and Edward. I had felt the vibrations of the rock falling; I could only hope that it had worked.

ERIC POV

"Try it now." Emmett said, and backed up. I put my arms through first, and kicked. Rock grated against my skin as I kicked again.

'Shit." I said, and put my hands down on the rock and heaved. The rock slowly dented to fit my shoulders. I pushed and kicked at the same time and like a cork from a wine bottle, I was shooting up through the chasm, the others following.

Suddenly, I was face to face with Esme and Rosalie. "You're out." Rosalie said, smirking. I ignored her and kept swimming upwards. I needed to see Kelsey, badly. I passed the huge rock, incased in her force field and swam faster.

When my head finally broke the water, I swam the mile over to the rock as fast as I could, and staggered onto dry land. Alice and Carlisle were clustered around her, and I pushed them both out of the way.

Instantly I was kneeling next to her, stroking her face. She looked like she was in pain, yet she was limp. Anxiously, I searched her face and body to a response to my touch, but there wasn't one.

"What is she thinking?" Alice voiced. Edward held up a finger and closed his eyes, then his knees buckled and he was wincing in pain, both hands holding his head. With a gasp, Esme flipped him on his back and he didn't look good. He was gasping for unnecessary air, and his face looked like he had seen something terrible.

"She's stuck. It's a continuous loop, she made the force-field, and it hurt, then nothing." Edward said, and hauled himself to his feet. I was frozen. This was my entire fault.

"I suggest we break the force-field. It's so big, she's stuck with it. Once it's broken, she can use her energy to…be functioning." Carlisle summed up. Without another word, I was diving into the water, stroking toward the rock.

I stopped in front of it, floating. There was no rock beneath my feet now, and I was happy for that. It was wonderful to be free.

On closer examination, the force field had small cracks running through it, .like there was pressure points. I raised one foot and kicked as Emmett came up along side me, then Edward, then Jasper.

The whole thing shuddered, but held firm. "She thinks she has to keep it up, or it will kill you." Edward said. It took me a minute to understand her reasoning. 'Let's all kick on three." I suggested, trying not to think about what I was doing.

I could very easily be killing her. Emmett Jasper and Edward swam to different sides of the rock. 'One, Two, _Three._" I shouted. We all kicked.

CARLISLE POV

I felt the shudder from Eric's kick; it made the whole rock we were on vibrate. When I looked over at Kelsey, I was shocked.

She had gone from dead looking, to corpse looking. She was still keeping it up, for reasons I couldn't understand. Why was she still fighting to keep it up?

"Are you sure about this Carlisle?" Alice asked. Esme had sat next to her, and looked up as she said this.

'I can't think of another way." I said. Alice gasped suddenly. 'We need-" She got cut off as the rock jerked up and sideways, causing all of us to be thrown into the water.

ERIC POV

I stared for a second at the force field. Then, like it had so long ago, it shattered, pieces falling and disappearing into the blackness. The rock groaned, and began to fall downward. It fell inward, and smashed into the wall that made the Grand Canyon.

A huge fault line appeared and trembled in the wall, and rocks from the shoreline were falling and sinking with huge splashes.

We had all darted out of the way, and when I looked over to the rock Kelsey was supposed to be, I was paralyzed. It wasn't there anymore, and I saw a flash of vampire skin as she fell into the blackness, and Alice and Carlisle looking around frantically for her. Esme and Rosalie were a few more meters away, trying to right themselves.

I took, off, dodging rocks; keeping my eyes glued to the spot she had disappeared. Without explanation, I pulled even with them and dived.

**Did it work, or did I just kill Kelsey? Review!**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Slipped Away

ERIC POV

I brushed kelp and weeds out of my way as I dived deeper and faster when I began to see some of Kelsey's hair trapped in the weeds.

I reached the rock the plant life was anchored to and began to fan out, searching. I saw a break in the ferns that the current was making and dove for it.

Kelsey was falling, sinking innocently to the rock. She hit it with a smack that even I heard, and I winced, swimming over, and hovering above her, unsure.

KELSEY POV

I desperately hung on to the force field as the blows came. I had to keep it up, Eric would die or be encased in rock for who knows how long if I let go. I slipped dangerously after the first blow.

I couldn't take much more. The second blow came. I fought with all my remaining strength, but when I hit something cool and soft, I lost focus, and it slipped away, and somewhere far inside me, I felt it shatter.

Eric.

I fell, feeling things brushing past me as the energy I didn't want came rushing back. My whole body lurched as I slammed into something, something _hard._ After a second, I unwillingly opened my eyes.

It took a minute for the writhing black tunnel vision to fade. Then I couldn't believe my eyes. Eric was floating above me, and I was underwater. His face was so worried as he floated down a little farther to me.

"Kelsey?" he almost whispered, I could see that he was terribly afraid. With a shaking hand, I reached up and touched his face. I had to be dreaming. I smiled and closed my eyes as my finger fell off his face.

I felt his cool hand grasp my wrist before my arm could fall limply back to my side. I felt his kisses on my hand, going down my arm. Then his strong hands were lifting me off the rock by my shoulders, then around my waist.

I felt him push off, and only supported myself a little. I was confused. What had happened to me, and how did he get out? The rock should have fallen and killed him.

I breathed when my head broke the water, and in less than a minute, Eric's sure strokes had led us to the banks. He pulled me easily onto the shoreline, and I could tell time had passed; the sun didn't dance on my eyelids.

Then his lips were burning their shape into mine, and my eyes fluttered open in surprise. He had propped me up, and was kissing me like he had wanted to before. Hesitantly, and after some struggle, I put my arms around his neck, and let him pull me to my feet, lean me against the rock, and kiss me some more.

I let my arms slide down to his waist, and I had to catch them there with my hands grabbing onto his shirt. I was exhausted and leaned against the rock limply.

He hoisted me back up as I started to slide, and when I didn't hold myself up, he caught me, now concerned.

I was breathing in slow, careful gasps, and was dead limp again; but I wasn't slipping away again. I was just tired, and confused. He slid down the rock, holding me, and we landed with a slight bump into the sand, and my eyes focused on the rest of the family making their way over.

Carlisle was there first. His hands were lightly skimming my forehead, rubbing my temples. I closed my eyes, wiped.

"Kelsey…are you alright? Does anything hurt?" his voice broke through my quiet daydream, and Eric rubbed my shoulders.

"I'm tired is all." I tried to say, but the whisper died on "I'm." I weakly lifted my hands to sign, but Edward beat me to the punch.

"She's exhausted." He said, his voice radiating surprise. I let my hands fall into my lap once more. Eric swept me up bridal style, and I only lifted my head to tuck it in-between his arm and his side.

All I did was close my eyes and breathe the whole way home.

As I look back on it all, a month later, I realize that I'm glad I evolved. I'm glad because I never would have met Eric. He is everything to me now, and we take care of and support each other.

And who knows? I might just keep evolving, not just genetically, but mentally, physically, and emotionally. Romantically. Metaphorically.

Who besides Alice, knows what the future will hold?

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**Thank you to everyone who read this story, reviewed, even flamed, I don't care. You guys made my day, over and over again.**

**I have to give credit to the book, **_**The Two Princess of Bamarre**_** for the idea for The Grey Death. Props to you, Gail Carson Levine. Your book was excellent.**

**As for a sequel…who knows? I for one, think this is my most successful and best written story. I loved the idea from the beginning, and I am happy with Eric and Kelsey. I hope you are too.**

**Thank you again!**

Ω**stephmeyerfan14**


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